DUCHY OF LANCASTER

10 Downing Street: Consultants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which external consultancy firms are working for 10 Downing street.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many external consultants were used by her Department in each year since 2005; and at what cost in each year.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which external consultants were used by  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies in relation to private finance initiatives in 2005-06; and what the (i) nature and (ii) cost of the work was in each case.

Hilary Armstrong: For information on the cost of consultancies I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 16 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1063W. The more detailed information requested in respect of the numbers, names and nature of the consultancies is not separately identifiable on the Department's accounting system.

Departmental Coordination

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who her Department's national strategic partners are; how much funding has been allocated to each; and what the purpose is of each partnership.

Edward Miliband: The Cabinet Office has 37 National Strategic Partners, all of which are currently funded by the Office of the Third Sector. These are all organisations or partnerships who have been selected in open competition to provide an effective voice for the third sector and to enable the sector to make a much more effective contribution to the development and delivery of policy in a wide range of areas. Full details are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Organisation/group name  Total funding (aggregated) (£ million)  Financial years funding begins and ends 
			 Association of Charitable Foundations 0.4 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Beacon Fellowship Trust 0.4 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 British Youth Council 0.3 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 BTCV 1.5 2006-07 to 2010-11 
			 Citizenship Foundation 0.6 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Community Foundation Network 0.6 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Community Service Volunteers 5.3 2006-07 to 2010-11 
			 Institute of Fundraising 1.0 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Mentoring and Befriending Foundation 3. 1 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 The National Youth Agency 1.2 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 TimeBank 1.5 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 V 6.2 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Volunteering England 5.2 2006-07 to 2010-11 
			 Youth Action Network 0.5 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Youthnet UK 1.9 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Action with Communities in Rural England 0.6 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations 0.6 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 British Association of Settlements & Social Action Centres 0.4 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 BMESCP 0.5 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Charities Evaluation Services 0.4 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Charity Trustee Networks 0.3 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Church Urban Fund 0.2 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Community Action Network 0.3 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Community Development Exchange 0.7 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Community Matters 0.7 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Consortium of Lesbian Gay Bisexual & Transgender voluntary & community Organisations 0.2 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 CEMVO 0.7 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Development Trusts Association 0.4 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 FaithAction 0.7 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Foyer Federation 0.3 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 National Association for Voluntary & Community Action 1.2 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 National Council for Voluntary Organisations 3.0 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 National Council for Voluntary Youth Services 0.7 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Scarman Trust 0.4 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Third Sector European Network 0.2 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Urban Forum 0.2 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Women's Resource Centre 0.4 2006-07 to 2008-09 
			 Total 42. 8

Departments: Freedom of Information

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for what reason her Department's Openness Team was renamed the FOI Team.

Hilary Armstrong: The FOI Team is so named to reflect the current legislative framework.

Ministers: Codes of Practice

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what rules govern requests by hon. Members of the Cabinet Secretary to investigate the conduct of ministers in the light of the Ministerial Code; and what changes have been made to those rules since 1997.

Hilary Armstrong: Section 1 of the Ministerial Code makes clear the role of the Cabinet Secretary in relation to the investigation of Ministers. The Ministerial Code was first issued in 1997. Updated versions were issued in 2001 and 2005.

Smith Institute

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much money from the public purse  (a) her Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) No. 10 Downing street gave to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary, SI Events Limited, in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made.

Hilary Armstrong: The total payments by the Cabinet Office to the Smith Institute and its subsidiary, SI Events Limited amount to less than £1,000. All payments made were in relation to the purchase of publications for official use.
	A further breakdown of this expenditure can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Drugs

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures his Department is taking to aid the destruction of poppy farming in Afghanistan.

Hilary Benn: The UK is spending £270 million over three years to support the Afghan Government's National Drug Control Strategy. DFID's main role in an effective counter narcotics strategy is to promote alternative, legal livelihoods. We also provide policy advice to key ministries on how best to do this. Our Livelihoods Programme, worth nearly £150 million from 2006-09, helps support Afghan national priority programmes aimed at developing legal livelihood opportunities as alternatives to poppy farming. We seek to mainstream counter narcotics elements throughout our programme as appropriate.
	DFID's support for the National Rural Access Programme (NRAP) is helping to build essential infrastructure such as irrigation schemes, roads and bridges. These provide much-needed infrastructure for economic development and jobs for Afghans at the same time. DFID gave £18 million to NRAP in 2005-06. The programme has already generated over 15 million days of labour, and nearly 9,500 km of roads have been built or repaired. Schools, health clinics and water schemes have also been constructed or repaired.
	DFID is providing £17 million between 2006-09 to the National Solidarity Programme (NSP). This enables local communities to identify their own development needs through the setting up of elected Community Development Councils (CDCs). NSP has now established over 16,000 CDCs across Afghanistan, and funded over 22,000 projects in the areas of agriculture, education, health, irrigation, power supply, transport, and water supply.
	Our support to the Micro-Finance Investment Support Facility of Afghanistan (MISFA) is helping Afghans to invest in income-generating activities and increase their savings. DFID is providing £20 million over three years (2006-09) to help provide small loans to the poor, who cannot otherwise get credit. So far, over £90 million of small loans has been given to over 230,000 Afghan families, tailors, shopkeepers, farmers and others to invest and increase their savings.
	The UK is also contributing £30 million over three years to the UN-administered Counter Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF) to help the Afghan Government implement various rural livelihood projects through their National Drug Control Strategy. DFID has recently agreed to provide £7 million over three years towards a World Bank programme to help farmers improve high value horticulture and livestock products in Afghanistan, with a focus on poppy growing areas.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 284W, on Afghanistan: overseas aid, whether  (a) the original wells drilling programme commenced before a full water table assessment had been produced and  (b) future well drilling programmes will be commenced before a further water table assessment is undertaken.

Hilary Benn: DFID included a water table assessment in its programme design and originally sourced an Italian NGO to undertake this. However, it was not completed as the NGO in question decided to stop working in Afghanistan. As Helmand is a priority for both the Government of Afghanistan and the UK Government, it was decided to continue with the drilling of wells, despite the absence of a water table assessment, because of the important benefits they can bring to the local population. We are in the advance stages of contracting DACCAR to perform an assessment and hope this will be done as soon as possible.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made in developing the Afghan civil service; and what assistance the UK has provided for this work.

Hilary Benn: Afghanistan has made impressive progress in developing its civil service over the past five years. Successful reforms have been carried out in key ministries, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Reconstruction and Rural Development. Reforms have included the development of a sustainable public pay policy, recruitment of competent staff, and restructuring of ministries to make them more effective. Reform is also on track in other important ministries, including the Ministry of Education, which makes up half of the civil service.
	DFID has made an important contribution to this, in particular through its £1.7 million contribution to the World Bank's Public Administration Programme. This supports the Afghan Civil Service Commission in implementing reform. A recent DFID evaluation found that good progress had been made towards the civil service reform benchmarks set out in the Afghanistan Compact: a sustainable and restructured public administration; a strengthened Civil Service Commission; and a transparent merit-based recruitment system. But challenges remain. The Civil Service Commission needs additional capacity, especially in the provinces. Merit-based recruitment systems need strengthening. And political will is needed to drive further reform through the ministries. DFID is working closely with the World Bank and Government of Afghanistan on longer-term support to address this.

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has a gender  (a) strategy and  (b) equality action plan in place.

Gareth Thomas: Gender is an integral part of DFID's core business to eliminate poverty overseas. The third millennium development goal (MDG) specifically promotes gender equality and women's empowerment and evidence shows that gender equality is also key to the achievement of the other MDGs.
	In line with the commitment in the Government's recent White Paper (July 2006) to give greater priority to gender equality, DFID carried out an evaluation of how effective the Department has been at achieving gender equality and women's empowerment. This led to the development of a three year gender equality action plan.
	The Department is also taking the following steps to meet its specific legal responsibilities under the gender equality duty.
	The Department has launched a consultation with staff and policy heads, to review UK based functions and activities to develop and publish our Gender Equality Scheme by 30 April 2007. This will conform to the approach set out in the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Order 2006 (No. 2930) when it comes into force on 6 April 2007.
	DFID's Human Resources Division is updating gender monitoring data on our employment functions and will use this evidence to promote equality as necessary. We are now identifying other activities for which we will collect more data on gender outcomes, such as the uptake of DFID's proposed volunteering scheme and the use of the development awareness fund.
	A network of gender champions has been established across the Department, consisting of senior civil servants, who are responsible for promoting equality and ensuring the Department's action plans are implemented.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

Gareth Thomas: I refer my hon. Friend to the response given by my hon. and learned Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Vera Baird) on 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 866W.

Developing Countries: Education

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Education Fast Track Initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is one partner among others on the multi-donor Education for All (EFA)—Fast Track Initiative (FTI). In its capacity as the host to the EFA-FTI, the World Bank recently carried out a study on the effectiveness of FTI on behalf of all FTI Partners. The Progress Report, with which DFID broadly agreed, states that the FTI has made significant impact on the ground; led to increases in enrolment in some FTI endorsed countries and substantial progress has been made on donor harmonisation and coordination.
	Since its inception in 2002, 29 countries have been endorsed and FTI has helped in building in-country processes; targeting countries with limited external assistance and is developing a potential strategy for harnessing and mobilising long-term predictable financing. FTI has acted as a catalyst in resource mobilisation alongside increased bilateral allocations to basic education in 'FTI endorsed' countries. Additionally, a recent World Bank funded study on the effectiveness of Global Funds/Partnerships at country level to the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (DAC-OECD), found FTI to be a good model for aid effectiveness based on the Paris Principles.
	The FTI Progress Report is available on the FTI website and more information about the FTI can be found at:
	http://www.fasttrackinitiative.org/
	Last year, DFID increased its support for the FTI Catalytic Fund from £50 million to £150 million.

Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle the trafficking of people from the developing world to the UK.

Gareth Thomas: Poverty and social exclusion make people vulnerable to human trafficking. DFID's purpose is to support long-term development programmes to help eliminate the underlying causes of poverty. Our programmes help improve the education of children and the livelihood opportunities and security of poor people so that they are less susceptible to traffickers.
	The UK spent £5.9 billion in 2006, on reducing poverty in developing countries, working with governments, civil society and the private sector. The UK also works with multilateral organisations, including the International Labour Organisation, the leading international body supporting programmes to tackle trafficking and other forms of forced labour.

Iraq

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2007,  Official Report, column 310W, on Iraq, whether the Government have taken part in discussions on the possibility of support to the Governments of Syria and Jordan for the assistance of displaced refugees from Iraq.

Hilary Benn: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1337W.

Latin America

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the comparative performance of his Department's Andean Unit and its offices elsewhere in the world.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's Andean Unit was recently evaluated as part of a broader independent evaluation, undertaken by the Overseas Development Institute, of DFID's Regional Assistance Programme for Latin America. The evaluation found that DFID Andes had adapted well to the new demands of a regional rather than a national bilateral programme, and had been successful in forging strong partnerships and implementing high quality programmes.
	The evaluation stated that DFID Andes was perceived by its partners to be playing its role as catalyst of change effectively. It went on to note that DFID Andes, and its counterpart offices in other parts of Latin America, are having a positive impact on its main partners, the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. Both institutions have cited that DFID Andes' influence has enabled them to improve their consultation processes on strategies and programmes, and to better disseminate their analysis to broader society.
	The evaluation concluded that DFID staff in the Latin America offices are "universally considered to be excellent", and their technical contributions are highly valued by partners.
	It is hard to compare performance with DFID offices elsewhere, because the Latin American offices have a different task—to work with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, rather than to administer a DFID country programme. DFID's Evaluation Department routinely undertakes evaluations of DFID offices and programmes around the world. Recent evaluations include DFID programmes in Bangladesh and the Caribbean. These evaluation reports are all publicly available on DFID's website, as is the Latin America Programme independent evaluation.

Sudan

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the short-term threat to the livestock of those refugees from Darfur who have crossed the border into Chad; and what plans the refugee agencies have for providing veterinary and other care to that livestock.

Hilary Benn: The major influx of Darfuri refugees with livestock into Chad took place in 2004 and 2005. During this time, livestock suffered greatly with the long distances travelled, the sudden increase in stress on pastures and the lack of available water. Since this influx, UNHCR, with its implementing partners, have stabilised the livestock situation in and around the 12 refugee camps in eastern Chad. UNHCR estimate that there are approximately 60,000 animals owned by refugees in these areas and provides the owners with training sessions on animal breeding techniques as well as vaccination and treatment services and complementary livestock feeding in the dry season.
	One outstanding difficulty is the deterioration of security and looting of livestock in recent months which is again hampering movement and increasing pressure on the local environment.
	UNHCR has two main priority areas for livestock for 2007; vaccination and veterinarian care in and outside the camps, in cooperation with the Chadian Government's livestock delegation; and promoting the breeding of smaller animals (sheep and poultry) better suited to vulnerable refugees living in camps.

Sudan

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will facilitate those agencies with expertise in dealing with livestock in emergency situations to intervene in Darfur in order to protect these assets.

Hilary Benn: The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is the primary agency dealing with livestock in Darfur. In 2006, FAO vaccinated and treated over 470,000 head of livestock, as well as training 350 community animal health workers, across Darfur.
	DFID channels the majority of its humanitarian funding through multi-donor common humanitarian fund (CHF) which enables the UN Humanitarian Coordinator to target resources at the areas of greatest need. In 2006, the CHF allocated $6 million to the food security and livelihoods sector in Darfur from which the FAO received $3.96 million. In 2007, food security and livelihoods in Darfur has so far received $7 million, $3.4 million going to FAO. DFID's proportion of CHF contributions stood at around two thirds in 2006 and will probably be similar in 2007.
	DFID also funds two NGO programmes with a livestock component in the rural areas of Darfur. These programmes have focused on animal vaccination, treatment and the expansion of local veterinary services.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aggregates Levy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money the Aggregates Levy Fund generated in each year of its existence.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The aggregates levy was introduced in 2002 to ensure that the external costs associated with the exploitation of aggregates are reflected in the price of aggregate, and to encourage the use of recycled aggregate. The revenue raised by the levy is shown in the following table and is published on the UK Trade Info website at
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=statindex
	
		
			  Financial year  Aggregates levy receipts (£ million) 
			 2002-03 247 
			 2003-04 339 
			 2004-05 334 
			 2005-06 326 
		
	
	Revenue is recycled back to business, primarily through a 0.1 percentage point reduction in employers' national insurance contributions, introduced at the same time as the levy, and the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, which has been set at a UK level of £35 million since the introduction of the levy.

Avian Influenza

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the time period was between the first contact with his Department of the veterinary surgeon who discovered the avian influenza outbreak at the Bernard Matthews plant at Holton and his Department's first subsequent visit to the plant.

Ben Bradshaw: The State Veterinary Service (SVS) were first notified by the private veterinary surgeon by telephone at approximately 4.45 pm on 1 February. Restrictions were immediately put in place on the turkey rearing farm, and work started shortly thereafter on gathering the essential initial epidemiological information. Detailed discussions on the situation between the private veterinary surgeon and the SVS continued into that evening, including an agreement that a full veterinary clinical and epidemiological investigation would commence at the turkey rearing site at 8.45 am on 2 February.

Avian Influenza

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the scientific evidence is that avian influenza can survive in birds for longer than six hours.

Ben Bradshaw: Although there has been some research into avian influenza virus survivability, most of this relates to the survival of virus in the environment. Therefore, we cannot give a definite answer as to how long the virus can remain in bird carcasses. Much depends upon the strain of virus, the host and environmental factors.
	However, there is evidence to support the fact that avian influenza virus can survive longer than six hours in live birds. The incubation period for this disease (infection to the onset of illness) is typically three to five days and the virus can be isolated during the clinical phase of the disease. In some instances it may be longer.
	Some species of birds (for example, waterfowl) can become infected but not show clinical signs of the disease, even when infected with the highly pathogenic strains. Many species of bird can become infected with the low pathogenic strains and show little evidence of being ill but are still infectious to other birds for some time.

Packaging: Waste Disposal

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will introduce a system of fines for the production of excess packaging.

Ben Bradshaw: A system already exists to fine businesses for using excess packaging. The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) require that all packaging placed on the market in the UK should be manufactured so that volume and weight are limited to the minimum adequate amount to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and consumer acceptance for the packed product.
	These regulations are enforced by Trading Standards officers and a number of companies have already been prosecuted for using excess packaging.
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 also encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use. In addition, the Government are encouraging supermarkets to take greater responsibility for the waste they place on the market and for producers to reduce their waste. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is currently working with retailers through the 'Courtauld Commitment', a voluntary agreement which aims to halt packaging growth by 2008 and make absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010. 13 major retailers, representing 92 per cent. of the UK grocery sector, have already signed the agreement as well as three major brands.
	In addition, DEFRA, working with WRAP and the devolved Administrations, has recently secured the agreement of UK retailers to reduce the overall environmental impact of their carrier bags by 25 per cent. by the end of 2008.
	Consumers also have a part to play in encouraging producers to reduce unnecessary waste by choosing goods that are not heavily packaged, buying 'loose' rather than pre-packaged food and re-using their own bags.

Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether local authorities which have entered a joint waste authority (JWA) will be able to leave the JWA without the consent of its other members;
	(2)  whether a  (a) county council and  (b) regional assembly will be able (i) to mandate and (ii) to force a district council to enter a joint waste authority;
	(3)  whether local authorities which enter joint waste authorities will have their statutory targets pooled;
	(4)  what the  (a) governance,  (b) internal voting,  (c) remuneration and  (d) administration arrangements are of joint waste authorities.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government tabled their proposals for the creation of joint waste authorities (JWAs) through amendments to the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill on 1 March this year.
	Under the proposals, the decision to create a JWA will be a voluntary one to be taken by two or more local waste authorities. The Secretary of State will only be able to dissolve a JWA in two situations: (i) if he/she receives a request to do so from all the appropriate local authorities; (ii) if he/she considers it necessary. Other models of partnership working are available for those authorities that do not wish their partnership to be placed on a statutory footing.
	Where a JWA takes on the waste collection or waste disposal functions of its constituent authorities, it will also be responsible for any targets associated with those functions. It is up to groups of authorities to decide which functions a JWA should take on. If a JWA is responsible for waste collection, the recycling targets of the constituent authorities will in effect be "pooled". However, if the JWA is responsible only for waste disposal, the local authorities will remain responsible for recycling targets.
	It will be for the relevant local authorities to consider and propose arrangements concerned with governance, internal voting, remuneration and administration. The Government are proposing that the Secretary of State will have powers to make regulations on the content of proposals and the information that should accompany them. A requirement for local authorities to consult on their draft proposals is also being proposed.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Compensation

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment he has made of how effective the Crown Prosecution Service has been in securing compensation for victims in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Northamptonshire.

Mike O'Brien: Crown prosecutors are required to ensure when reviewing a case that it includes the information required to make an informed application for compensation or restitution at the court hearing. There are no figures available for the percentage of applications for compensation made by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to the court that are successful. The CPS provides any information required by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority or the Criminal Injuries Compensation Panel within 60 days of receiving the request.

Crown Prosecution Service

Philip Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is responsible for telling victims of crime if charges are not brought against suspects; and in what proportion of cases he estimates this is done by  (a) the CPS and  (b) the police.

Mike O'Brien: Where a crown prosecutor takes the decision that there is insufficient evidence to bring proceedings, following receipt of a file of evidence, it is the responsibility of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to notify the victim of this as required by the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime. Where the decision is taken not to proceed during a consultation between the investigating officer and a crown prosecutor, it is the responsibility of the police to notify the victim of the decision not to proceed. In 2006, the CPS made the decision not to bring any proceedings against 208,116 suspects, of which 52,420 were communicated to the investigating officer through a written advice. No data are currently retained on the proportion of cases in which it is the CPS's responsibility to communicate the decision to the victim.

Graffiti: Prosecutions

John Hemming: To ask the Solicitor-General under what circumstances the Crown Prosecution Service would prosecute a youth who is alleged to be writing graffiti tags on property.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would apply the two stage test as set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The first stage is the evidential test: there has to be sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction.
	If there is, consideration has to be given to the second test, namely, whether a prosecution is required in the public interest. Relevant public interest considerations are set out in the code. A prosecution will be brought if the balance of public interest factors is in favour of a prosecution. If the youth has admitted the offence when interviewed, consideration will be given as to whether the case is suitable for diversion: in such cases, the option would be for the police to administer a reprimand or final warning.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Building and Refurbishment Projects

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the  (a) initial budget price,  (b) contract sum,  (c) final cost and  (d) contract period was of each of the House's building and refurbishment projects with a contract value greater than £20,000 completed since January 2001; what the final time to complete the project was in each case; what the contingency sum in the contract was in each case; in how many cases an extension of time was granted to complete the contract; what total extension of time was granted in each such case; which preliminary costs were paid on the extension of time granted; on what period of time contractors paid liabilities in each case; and what the sum was of these liabilities in each case.

Nick Harvey: I regret that information to this level of detail cannot be readily produced but if my hon. Friend wished to table a more specific question about a particular project I shall endeavour to give him a full reply.

Parliament: Air Pollution

Philip Hollobone: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate he has made of the carbon footprint of the House estate; and what targets have been set to reduce it.

Nick Harvey: The amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere as a result of gas and electricity consumption on the parliamentary estate during 2005-06 was 4.746 MtC/year. This figure was calculated from the energy invoices and a deduction was made for the 10 per cent. of electricity consumption that derived from renewable sources.
	The carbon emissions resulting from transportation have not been calculated so the direct/primary carbon footprint cannot be determined. The indirect/secondary carbon footprint cannot yet be determined either.
	The current energy and water saving policy for the parliamentary estate has the target,
	"to reduce annual absolute carbon emission, from fuel and electricity used in buildings, by 12.5 per cent. by 2010-11, relative to 1999-2000".
	The House of Commons Board of Management has approved the recommendation that the eco-management and audit scheme, an environmental management system, be implemented on the parliamentary estate and this work should start soon. Consultants have produced proposals for utilising renewable energy systems on the parliamentary estate and these are currently being considered.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Church Repairs: Funding

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what recent discussions the Commissioners have had with Ministers on funding for church repairs.

Stuart Bell: The Church Heritage Forum, of which the Commissioners are members, continues to press Ministers and officials at all levels of Government in an effort to secure a 50:50 partnership with the state in respect of funding church repairs and a 'level playing field' in terms of access to other funds.

Church Buildings: Funding

John Mann: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how much  (a) Lottery and  (b) state funding has been spent on church buildings in the last 10 years.

Stuart Bell: The English Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund Joint Grant Scheme for Repairs to Places of Worship began in 1996 and under this scheme a total of just under £250 million has been granted for repairs to buildings still in use as places of worship. Since 2001, a further £55 million has come from the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme which refunds VAT spent on repairs.

Church Ownership

Gordon Prentice: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many churches are in the ownership of the Church of England.

Stuart Bell: The Church of England has 16,200 church buildings. About 12,200 of these are listed by the Government as being of special architectural or historic interest, including around 45 per cent. of all Grade I and 20 per cent. of all Grade 2 buildings.

Church of England: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what assessment the Commissioners have made of the financial implications of the sexual orientation regulations for the Church of England in relation to the support of parish ministry in areas of need.

Stuart Bell: No such assessment has been made.

Church of England: Pensions

Andrew Selous: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what assessment the Commissioners have made of the effect of the financial position of the Church of England's pension fund on the activity of the Church.

Stuart Bell: The Church is carrying out a major review of its clergy pension provision in the light of the increased cost of the current scheme and the potential impact on its other mission activities. Two reports were published in 2006, the second of which identified a number of options on which we have consulted extensively.
	On 27 February, proposals were put to General Synod for the retention of the existing defined benefit structure but with some modifications to scheme benefits to make them more affordable for the parishes. Synod approved the necessary changes to the scheme rules subject to our carrying out the statutory consultation with individual scheme members. Proposals will be put to the Synod for final approval at its sessions in July 2007.

Departments: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what databases are controlled by the Commissioners; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners maintain a large number of databases for internal use and listing these would involve a disproportionate amount of time and cost. However, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that their accuracy is constantly verified during data input.
	Among the more significant databases controlled by the Commissioners are the clergy payroll, lists of redundant churches, and details of bishops' expenditure. In all cases there are robust processes for ensuring accuracy, data is updated and checked against external sources where possible, and we estimate a high percentage of accuracy.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Boundary Commissions

Andrew MacKay: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the time scale is for the assumption of responsibility by the Electoral Commission of the work of the parliamentary boundary commissions.

Peter Viggers: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 makes provision for the transfer of the responsibilities of the four parliamentary boundary commissions to the Electoral Commission. On 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1472W, the Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Bridget Prentice) stated that the Government wished to take into account the findings of the review of the Electoral Commission by the Committee on Standards in Public Life before reaching a decision on the timing of any such transfers. That Committee reported in January and has recommended that the relevant statutory provisions should be repealed. The Government have yet to respond formally to this report.

TRANSPORT

Railways: Terrorism

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent steps his Department has taken to combat the threat of terrorism on rail services in England and Wales.

Tom Harris: It would be inappropriate to discuss the detail of any current or future counter-terrorist security measures on public transport to avoid potentially compromising their effectiveness.
	In its role as the transport industries' security regulator, DfT maintains risk-driven protective security regimes based on assessments of the terrorist threat prepared by the Security Service.
	Despite the practical limitations of deploying protective security measures on 'open' mass transit systems, a hierarchy of measures is in place to mitigate the risk of terrorist attack on the UK rail network and London Underground. These are designed to be commensurate with the risk, effective, practicable and sustainable. They are co-ordinated with the work of the British Transport Police.
	The situation is kept under constant review to ensure that the measures remain up to date and we continue to look at what further practical measures can be taken to protect transport targets.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2006,  Official Report, column 435W, on Afghanistan, whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the bombing of civilians by NATO planes in Panjwayi near Khandahar in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: A joint ISAF-Afghan National Army report on the airstrike in Panjwayi concluded that this incident occurred principally due to slow communications between International Forces and the local authorities. As a result, ISAF has implemented a range of measures to improve the flow of critical information. ISAF takes every step possible to prevent civilian casualties. NATO is withholding publication of further details as the information would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's assessment is of the security risk presented by the revival of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: We assess that the Taliban retain the capability and the intent to attack the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Afghan security forces, aid workers and civilian targets across a broad area of southern and eastern Afghanistan. ISAF forces keep the threat posed by the Taliban and insurgent groups under constant review. The uplift in forces announced recently is aimed at defeating this Taliban capability and consolidating the excellent work carried out by ISAF to date.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British servicemen and women have been injured in Afghanistan since  (a) special forces were deployed in 2001 and  (b) the armed forces were deployed in 2002.

Derek Twigg: Casualty data for operations in Afghanistan since 1 January 2006 are available on the MOD website at http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets. We intend to provide further information on casualties in Afghanistan prior to 2006 on the MOD website later this month. Our initial priority is to publish information for seriously injured (SI) and very seriously injured (VSI) casualties, with further information to be released in due course. I will write to my hon. Friend when this exercise has been completed. It is MOD policy not to comment on special forces matters.

Armed Forces: Bereavement Counselling

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what services are offered by his Department for the bereaved families of armed forces personnel.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1161W, to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Wallace).

Armed Forces: Catering

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the daily budget allowance for meals is for  (a) Royal Navy personnel (i) in port and (ii) at sea (A) on ship and (B) on submarines (1) on operations and (2) on exercise,  (b) Royal Air Force personnel (x) at their home base and (y) on operations and  (c) Army personnel (X) in their home posting, (Y) on exercise and (Z) on operations; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 March 2007
	The daily budget allowance, known as the daily messing rate (DMR), is based on a "basket" of food items, and is calculated on a monthly basis by applying prices obtained from the MOD's food supply contractor to the appropriate ration scale. Current DMRs are shown as follows:
	 Royal Navy Personnel
	The DMR for Royal Navy personnel in port is currently £1.51 (unless on duty watch, when 'at sea rates' apply).
	The minimum DMR for HM Ships at sea from January to March 2007 is £1.68 per person per day. The DMR is adjusted according to ship's complement, which can raise the total to a maximum of £2.63 per person per day.
	The rate for submarines at sea is 37p higher than the ship's rates above, plus a 12 per cent. addition to the relevant DMR when away from base port for more than 24 hours. There are no additions for RN personnel during operations or exercises.
	 Royal Air Force personnel
	DMR at home bases is £1.51.
	DMR on operations is £2.49 for OP TELIC and OP HERRICK and £2.63 for OP OCCULUS (Balkans).
	 Army personnel
	DMR in their home posting is £1.51.
	DMR on exercise is £2.11.
	DMR on operations is £2.49 for OP TELIC and OP HERRICK and £2.63 for OP OCCULUS.
	The changeover of food supply contractor on 1 October 2006 resulted in a change in the method of calculating the DMR. Under the previous contractor, the rate included an element for their management fee, while under the current contract, that fee is paid centrally. The effect is that the DMR now appears lower, but it still purchases the same quantity and quality of food product.

Armed Forces: Dogs

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the daily budget allowance for food is for military dogs in the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force,  (c) Royal Navy and  (d) Ministry of Defence Police.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 1 March 2007
	The information requested is not held centrally and would vary depending on the breed and work of the dog.

Ballistic Missile Defence

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce details of the UK's involvement in the American ballistic missile defence shield.

Des Browne: The UK already makes a valuable contribution to the US missile defence system through the upgrade of the radar at RAF Fylingdales and our well-established technical cooperation programmes. There is no set timetable for any decisions on further participation in that programme.

Cluster Munitions

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his  (a) United States,  (b) Chinese,  (c) Russian and  (d) Israeli counterparts on the outcome of the Oslo conference on cluster munitions; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: No such discussions have taken place with Chinese, Russian or Israeli counterparts. United States officials have been debriefed at official level on the outcome of the conference.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to the Spring Supplementary Estimates 2006-07 (HC294), if he will break down the  (a) current and  (b) revised request for resources one, two and three provision for each subhead by (i) near cash Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), (ii) non-cash DEL and (iii) capital DEL;
	(2)  pursuant to the Spring Supplementary Estimates 2006-07 (HC293), if he will break down the  (a) current and  (b) revised request for resources one, two and three provision for each subhead by (i) near cash annual managed expenditure, (ii) non-cash annual managed expenditure, (iii) capital annual managed expenditure, (iv) near cash non-budget and (v) non-cash non-budget.

Adam Ingram: The current and revised request for resources one, two and three provision for each subhead by (i) near cash Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), (ii) non-cash DEL, (iii) capital DEL, (iv) near cash annual managed expenditure, (v) non-cash annual managed expenditure, (vi) capital annual managed expenditure, (vii) near cash non-budget and (viii) non-cash non-budget are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Table : Breakdown of Net Request for Resources one, two and three at Spring Supplementary Estimates 2006-07 
			  £000 
			   2006-07 
			  TLB/Estimate type  Main estimates  Winter supplementaries  Spring supplementaries 
			  Fleet
			 Direct Resource DEL 2,101,506 2,138,670 2,149,341 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 2,096,868 84,096 35 
			 Total Resource DEL 4,198,374 2,222,766 2,149,376 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect -5,718 -5,718 -5,718 
			 Total AME -5,718 -5,718 -5,718 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Fleet 4,192,656 2,217,048 2,143,658 
			 
			 
			  General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland
			 Direct Resource DEL 476,759 399,071 389,586 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 94,615 1,436 20,656 
			 Total Resource DEL 571,374 400,507 410,242 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland 571,374 400,507 410,242 
			 
			  Commander in Chief Land Command
			 Direct Resource DEL 4,358,352 4,302,643 4,290,561 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 1,360,226 20,320 20,320 
			 Total Resource DEL 5,718,578 4,322,963 4,310,881 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Commander in Chief Land Command 5,718,578 4,322,963 4,310,881 
			 
			  Air Officer Commanding in Chief RAF Strike Command
			 Direct Resource DEL 1,865,712 1,924,143 1,908,476 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 1,864,028 122,231 1,191 
			 Total Resource DEL 3,729,740 2,046,374 1,909,667 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Air Officer Commanding in Chief RAF Strike Command 3,729,740 2,046,374 1,909,667 
			 
			  Chief of Joint Operations
			 Direct Resource DEL 383,180 352,839 350,847 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 139,307 6,951 8,144 
			 Total Resource DEL 522,487 359,790 358,991 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect -4,000 -4,000 7,420 
			 Total AME -4,000 -4,000 7,420 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Chief of Joint Operations 518,487 355,790 366,411 
			 
			 
			  Chief of Defence Logistics
			 Direct Resource DEL 4,453,296 4,806,078 4,993,997 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 2,853,825 8,337,939 8,203,988 
			 Total Resource DEL 7,307,121 13,144,017 13,197,985 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 9,910 9,910 176,475 
			 Total AME 9,910 9,910 176,475 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Chief of Defence Logistics 7,317,031 13,153,927 13,374,460 
			 
			  Adjutant General
			 Direct Resource DEL 1,622,465 1,590,549 1,579,085 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 160,459 1,516 -16,592 
			 Total Resource DEL 1,782,924 1,592,065 1,562,493 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 9,152 9,152 9,232 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 9,152 9,152 9,232 
			 Total Adjutant General 1,792,076 1,601,217 1,571,725 
			 
			  Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command
			 Direct Resource DEL 765,507 814,092 803,669 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 160,959 45,271 8,509 
			 Total Resource DEL 926,466 859,363 812,178 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command 926,466 859,363 812,178 
			 
			  Central
			 Direct Resource DEL 2,098,460 2,083,419 2,134,639 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 1,219,381 111,459 74,682 
			 Total Resource DEL 3,317,841 2,194,878 2,209,321 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 2,360 2,360 4,402 
			 Total AME 2,360 2,360 4,402 
			 Non Budget Direct 578 578 750 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 578 578 750 
			 Total Central 3,320,779 2,197,816 2,214,473 
			 
			 
			  Defence Estates
			 Direct Resource DEL 902,507 1,092,054 1,115,159 
			 Indirect Resource DEL -751 1,278,430 1,454,309 
			 Total Resource DEL 901,756 2,370,484 2,569,468 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 2,700 2,700 3,249 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 2,700 2,700 3,249 
			 Total Defence Estates 904,456 2,373,184 2,572,717 
			 
			  Defence Procurement Agency
			 Direct Resource DEL 1,574,061 1,327,193 1,265,848 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 710,447 549,715 842,122 
			 Total Resource DEL 2,284,508 1,876,908 2,107,970 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 175,505 175,505 27,421 
			 Total AME 175,505 175,505 27,421 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Defence Procurement Agency 2,460,013 2,052,413 2,135,391 
			 
			  Corporate Science and Technology
			 Direct Resource DEL 538,452 529,778 531,651 
			 Indirect Resource DEL -4,252 -4,252 -4,252 
			 Total Resource DEL 534,200 525,526 527,399 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Corporate and Science and Technology 534,200 525,526 527,399 
			 
			 
			  Total—RfR1
			 Direct Resource DEL 21,140,257 21,360,529 21,512,859 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 10,655,112 10,555,112 10,613,112 
			 Total Resource DEL 31,795,369 31,915,641 32,125,971 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 178,057 178,057 210,000 
			 Total AME 178,057 178,057 210,000 
			 Non Budget Direct 12,430 12,430 13,231 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 12,430 12,430 13,231 
			 Total MOD RfR1 31,985,856 32,106,128 32,349,202 
			  Conflict Prevention RfR2
			 Direct Resource DEL 47,326 1,087,326 1,385,526 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 0 0 42,000 
			 Total Resource DEL 47,326 1,087,326 1,427,526 
			 AME Direct 0 0 0 
			 AME Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total AME 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total Conflict Prevention RfR2 47,326 1,087,326 1,427,526 
			 
			  War Pensions and Benefits RfR3
			 Direct Resource DEL 0 0 0 
			 Indirect Resource DEL 0 0 0 
			 Total Resource DEL 0 0 0 
			 AME Direct 1,030,599 1,038,304 1,048,304 
			 AME Indirect -648 -643 -643 
			 Total AME 1,029,951 1,037,661 1,047,661 
			 Non Budget Direct 0 0 0 
			 Non Budget Indirect 0 0 0 
			 Total Non Budget 0 0 0 
			 Total War Pensions and Benefits RfR3 1,029,951 1,037,661 1,047,661 
			 
			 MOD Total RfR 33,063,133 34,231,115 34,824,389 
			 
			 
			  Capital DEL (Net)
			 Fleet 33,101 20,768 19,817 
			 General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland 46,664 3,513 3,513 
			 Commander in Chief Land Command 176,762 92,637 78,326 
			 Air Officer Commanding in Chief RAF Strike Command 77,223 42,363 15,233 
			 Chief of Joint Operations 26,721 25,389 10,804 
			 Chief of Defence Logistics 1,027,274 1,512,616 1,230,743 
			 Adjutant General 16,274 8,968 5,436 
			 Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command 35,209 39,617 22,201 
			 Central 65,063 36,302 42,025 
			 Defence Estates 32,213 35,281 111,573 
			 Defence Procurement Agency 5,396,735 5,187,785 5,465,568 
			 Corporate Science and Technology 0 0 0 
			  6,933,239 7,005,239 7,005,239 
			 Hydro -329 -329 -329 
			 DARA -4,840 -4,840 -4,840 
			 ABRO -2,154 -2,154 -2,154 
			 RfR1 Capital DEL 6,925,916 6,997,916 6,997,916 
			 CDEL AME -7,000 -7,000 -7,000 
			 Conflict Prevention RfR2—CDEL 0 360,000 449,000 
			 War Pensions and Benefits RfR3 0 0 0 
			 
			 MOD Total Capital 6,918,916 7,350,916 7,439,916

Iraq Conflict

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department were first informed that a video tape existed of the United States aerial attack which killed Lance-Corporal Hull.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 February 2007
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 370W. The handling of the audio/video recording in question is being investigated. I will write to the hon. Gentleman when the investigation is complete and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Iraq

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of servicemen  (a) killed and  (b) injured in Iraq by weapons of Iranian origin since the occupation of Iraq began;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of British servicemen  (a) killed and  (b) injured in Iraq by weapons of Iranian origin since the occupation of Iraq began.

Des Browne: The Ministry of Defence does not have an estimate of the number of British servicemen, or other servicemen, who have been killed or injured by weapons of Iranian origin since the beginning of Operation Telic. However, support from within Iran, including by the Quds Force, does go to groups who are attacking coalition forces and fuelling the sectarian violence in Iraq. In our assessment some of the Improvised Explosive Devices that are being used against our troops use technology that originates from Iran.
	The Government of Iraq have made it clear that they will not tolerate Iranian activity that undermines the prospects for a secure, stable and democratic Iraq.

Iraq

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the provision of security services by private contractors in Iraq; and what proportion of his Department's spending in that country such expenditure represents.

Des Browne: For the purposes of this response I have taken the phrase 'security services' to mean force protection services. The Ministry of Defence has not incurred any expenditure on the provision of such services by private contractors in Iraq.

Military Bases: Gibraltar

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to protect the employment rights of the locally engaged Gibraltarian workforce at the dockyard.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not employ any locally engaged personnel in the dockyard at Gibraltar.

Missile Defence

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce missile-to-missile defences in the United Kingdom in 2007 to 2012.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 601, to the hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Goodwill).

NATO

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 312W, on NATO, what assessment he has made of progress in the continuing transformation of NATO's capabilities.

Des Browne: NATO's ongoing transformation process is vital for ensuring that the alliance has the modern expeditionary capabilities it needs to undertake the full range of potential missions, including collective defence and crisis response operations. Building on the decisions taken at the Prague and Istanbul summits, much progress has already been made to make alliance forces more capable and more usable—exemplified by the development of the NATO Response Force, which was declared fully operational at the Riga summit last November. Other important new initiatives agreed at Riga were to increase the strategic lift available to allies; enhance co-operation between special forces; improve logistics support; develop a more comprehensive approach to operations; further streamline NATO's command structures; and strengthen NATO's ability to work with those current and potential contributors to NATO operations and missions, who share its interests and values.

Naval Deployment: Gulf

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 690W, on naval deployment (Gulf), what changes were made to the UK naval posture in the Gulf region between July 2006 and February 2007.

Adam Ingram: There have been a number of changes in the UK Naval presence in the Gulf since July 2006. These have all been part of long-term plans and routine rotations. The naval posture has not changed during this period.

Nuclear Weapons

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the costs of building a new uranium processing facility, warhead assembly and disassembly facility, core punch facility, explosives handling facility and material science facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment are included in the estimates for  (a) the procurement costs in paragraph 5-12 and  (b) the in-service costs in paragraph 5-14 of the White Paper, "The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent".

Des Browne: These facilities are part of the programme of investment in sustaining capabilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, both to ensure we can maintain the existing warhead for as long as necessary and to enable us to develop a replacement warhead if that is required. The costs of building, and subsequently operating and maintaining, these facilities are included in the estimates set out in paragraphs 5-13 and 5-14 of the White Paper: "The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent" (Cm 6994).

Official Secrets

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the process is for the management and control of classified information; and which Minister is responsible for classified information.

Adam Ingram: The process for controlling and managing classified information is as follows:
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in common with other Government Departments, operates a filing system which makes extensive use of registered files. Each file relates to a particular subject, or aspect of a subject, and has a unique identifying reference (normally an alpha/numeric combination).
	Material of any classification (from RESTRICTED up to TOP SECRET) which is deemed worthy of retention on a registered file is placed on the file as soon as possible. MOD uses a system of colour coded file covers to denote the different file classifications.
	A record is kept of the creation, reproduction, receipt, despatch, movements or disposal of all information marked SECRET and TOP SECRET in an appropriate register held locally by each branch/directorate within the MOD.
	Regular, efficient inspections of registers and random spot checks of classified information and registered files constitute the main safeguards of classified information.
	These principles apply equally to classified information held on MOD's IT systems.
	The Minister for the Armed Forces is responsible for the protection of classified information.

Service Personnel

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons his Department changed the methodology for collating the number of personnel undertaking operations and other military tasks in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The methodology for collating numbers of personnel on operations and other military tasks has not changed.
	Officials have reviewed the tables in my previous answer of 4 September 2006,  Official Report, columns 1682-84W, and established that the answer was incorrect. Annual reports up to 2004-05 should have made clear that the percentages quoted for the Army did include those preparing for or recovering from operations.

Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1636W, on warships; what warships were based at each location in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006; and which are based at each in 2007.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 February 2007
	The warships currently based at Devonport, Portsmouth and Faslane are as follows:
	 2007:
	 (a) Devonport
	Albion
	Argyll
	Bulwark
	Campbeltown
	Chatham
	Cornwall
	Cumberland
	Echo
	Gleaner
	Monmouth
	Montrose
	Northumberland
	Ocean
	Portland
	Roebuck
	Scott
	Somerset
	Sutherland
	Total—18
	 (b) Portsmouth
	Ark Royal
	Atherstone
	Blazer
	Brocklesby
	Cattistock
	Clyde
	Dasher
	Dumbarton Castle
	Edinburgh
	Endurance
	Exeter
	Gloucester
	Hurworth
	Illustrious
	Iron Duke
	Kent
	Lancaster
	Ledbury
	Liverpool
	Manchester
	Mersey
	Middleton
	Nottingham
	Puncher
	Quorn
	Richmond
	Severn
	Southampton
	St. Albans
	Tracker
	Tyne
	Westminster
	York
	Total—33
	 (c) Faslane
	Bangor
	Blyth
	Grimsby
	Pembroke
	Penzance
	Ramsey
	Shoreham
	Walney
	Total—8
	Detailed information about the base port history of each Royal Navy warship is not held centrally. The figures provided in response to the hon. Gentleman's question of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1636W, were the best estimates available at the time. Further work has refined the current position, and is reflected in the information provided. Detailed information for 2004, 2005 and 2006 is, however, not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma: Human Rights

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make to the Burmese Government about religious discrimination and restriction in Burma.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mark Hunter) on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 394-95W.

Burma: Human Rights

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department's policy is on the merits of a UN Security Council resolution requiring the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar to cease violation of human rights in that country.

Ian McCartney: Our policy is to support all action in the UN, including in the Security Council, which helps to promote reform and positive change and full respect for human rights in Burma, We therefore co-sponsored the UN Security Council Resolution on Burma with the United States which was put to the vote on 12 January. Nine members of the Security Council voted for the Resolution. However, the Resolution was not adopted, as two permanent members of the Security Council—China and Russia—voted against, as did South Africa.
	Disappointing though this result was, it is important to note that all Security Council members agreed that there were serious issues of concern in Burma. This and the positive votes from a majority of Council partners reflected the international community's deep concern over the plight of Burma's people. We will continue to work within the UN to ensure that Burma remains on the UN Security Council agenda.

Burma: Human Rights

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to raise the issue of human trafficking, particularly of women in Kachin State, with the régime in Burma; and what response has been received.

Ian McCartney: We are aware of reports written by the Kachin Women's Association Thailand and Christian Solidarity Worldwide on this issue. On 24 January, I met representatives from the Chin and Kachin ethnic groups to discuss human rights violations, including human trafficking. We take every opportunity to raise human rights issues with the regime and remind them of their obligations to adhere to international human rights law.
	I have raised the human rights situation regularly with the Burmese regime and other Governments in the region. On 15 June 2006, I called in the Burmese ambassador and on 5 July 2006 I wrote to the Burmese Foreign Minister, highlighting our many concerns, including issues such as human trafficking and the treatment of all Burma's ethnic groups. The Minister has not responded to my letter.
	On 18 September 2006, I raised the serious human rights situation with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ambassadors, including the Burmese ambassador, and on 4 December 2006 with the ASEAN Secretary-General. I have also raised Burma with the Governments of China, India, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. I have discussed the human rights abuses taking place in Burma with Juan Méndez, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. I discussed Burma in detail with Ibrahim Gambari, the UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, on 15 November 2006, following his visit to the country.
	In addition, our ambassador in Rangoon regularly raises human rights with the regime, most recently when he met the Burmese Ministers for Planning and Immigration and the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister on 5 January.
	We fully support all action in the UN, including in the Security Council, which helps to promote reform and positive change in Burma. We therefore co-sponsored the UN Security Council Resolution on Burma, with the United States, calling on the regime to bring an end to all human rights violations in Burma. This was put to the vote on 12 January. Nine members of the Security Council voted for the Resolution. However the Resolution was not adopted, as two permanent members of the Security Council—China and Russia—voted against, as did South Africa.
	Disappointing though this result was, it is important to note that all Security Council members agreed that there were serious issues of concern in Burma. This, and the positive votes from a majority of Council partners, reflected the international community's deep concern over the plight of Burma's people. We will continue to work within the UN to ensure that Burma remains on the UN Security Council agenda.
	The UK also helped draft the Resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 22 December 2006 which expressed grave concern about human trafficking.

Burma: Human Rights

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will discuss violations of religious freedom in Burma with the UN's Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion and Belief.

Kim Howells: The Government have not yet had the opportunity to discuss religious freedom in Burma with the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion and Belief. However, I have raised the human rights situation regularly with the Burmese regime and other Governments in the region. On 16 June 2006, I called in the Burmese ambassador, and on 5 July 2006 I wrote to the Burmese Foreign Minister, highlighting our many concerns, including the freedom to express religious belief. On 18 September 2006, I raised the serious human rights situation with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ambassadors, including the Burmese ambassador, and on 4 December 2006 with the ASEAN Secretary-General. I have also raised Burma with the Governments of China, India, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. I have discussed the human rights abuses taking place in Burma with Juan Mendez, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. I discussed Burma in detail with Ibrahim Gambari, the United Nations Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, on 15 November 2006, following his visit to the country. On 24 January, I met representatives from the Burmese Chin and Kachin ethnic groups to discuss the many difficulties faced by their respective communities, including violations of their religious freedoms.
	In addition, our ambassador in Rangoon regularly raises human rights with the regime, most recently when he met the Burmese Ministers for Planning and Immigration and the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister on 5 January.
	We shall continue, bilaterally and with international partners, to urge the Burmese regime to pursue laws and practices which foster tolerance and mutual respect and protect religious minorities from persecution and discrimination.

Capital Punishment

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking to support attempts at an EU level to press for a global moratorium on the use of capital punishment.

Ian McCartney: We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle and are working with our EU partners towards universal abolition. This includes consideration of a death penalty initiative in the UN General Assembly. It has proven difficult in the past to secure a UN resolution calling for a global moratorium on the death penalty and it is important that we secure an acceptably strong text. We are discussing with EU partners how best to advance this.

Guinea

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking relating to the situation in Guinea; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We have been concerned by events in Guinea and regret the loss of life resulting from clashes between protesters and security forces. In conjunction with international partners, our ambassador in Conakry has made several representations to the Guinean Government expressing our concern and hope that all the issues can be resolved in a way acceptable to all. We note, and welcome, the lifting of martial law on 23 February and an ending to the strike. We will continue to monitor the situation closely. We are also keeping the consular situation under close review.

Guinea

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact which the instability in Guinea is having in the region; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: There has been no substantial impact on the region by events in Guinea so far. However, we have concerns that if the situation substantially deteriorated again, there could be an impact on Guinea's neighbouring countries. We therefore welcome the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States and regional heads of state in helping to mediate between the Guinean Government and the trade unions and opposition parties.

Guinea

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support her Department is giving to the Government of Guinea to help resolve the instability in that country; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him today (UIN 123826).

Guinea

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration is being given to possible military assistance to the Guinean Government; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We have no plans to provide military assistance to the Guinean Government.

Guinea

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of France regarding the situation in Guinea; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We have discussed the current situation in Guinea with French colleagues in Paris and in Conakry, and will continue to do so. Discussions have covered political events and also consular contingency planning should the situation deteriorate again.

Guinea

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held in the UN Security Council regarding the situation in Guinea; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: There have been no discussions regarding Guinea at the UN Security Council so far. The Secretary-General of the UN issued a statement on 22 January expressing grave concern at events. The statement can be found on the UN website at:
	http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2417
	I will also arrange for a copy to be sent to my hon. Friend and a copy will also be placed in the Library of the House.

Guinea

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to facilitate a national dialogue to resolve the situation in Guinea; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him today (UIN 123826).

Iraq: Airspace

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the American Government on the transfer of control of Iraqi airspace from American responsibility to that of Iraq.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any such discussions directly with the US Administration. The process of transferring control of Iraqi airspace to Iraq is being led by the US, on behalf of the Multi-National Force Iraq. Through the Iraqi Reconstruction Management Office, it is working to build up the Government of Iraq's capacity to manage their own airspace. For our part, we have been providing support and training to Iraqi civilian air operations from and to Basra International airport.

Maldives

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of efforts of the Government of the Maldives to reach internationally accepted standards on  (a) the democratic process,  (b) a fair legal system and  (c) a free and diverse media; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers that my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade (Mr. McCartney) and I gave to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 27 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 1198-99W.
	We welcome the statements by the Government of the Maldives that they are committed to a process of reform leading to multi-party democracy. While some progress has been made, there are still significant obstacles. The Government have been encouraging a process of all-party talks to accelerate the reform process.
	We remain concerned, however, about the Government of the Maldives' approach towards people, including journalists, members of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party and others, who are active in promoting democratic change in the Maldives. The use of the judicial process in a seemingly politically motivated way is one of those concerns.
	At the invitation of the Government of the Maldives, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Mr. Leandro Despouy, recently visited the Maldives to assist the Government in their implementation of judicial reforms. He has made a number of preliminary observations and will report his findings and recommendations for strengthening the Maldivian judiciary and assuring its independence to the UN Human Rights Council.

Somalia

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of recent civilian protest in Mogadishu on the stability of the Transitional Federal Government.

Ian McCartney: We have noted that several civilian protests have taken place in Somalia, and particularly in Mogadishu, primarily against the presence of Ethiopian troops inside Somalia. We believe that the Transitional Federal Government's (TFG) proposed National Reconciliation Congress offers the best chance to bring peace and stability to Somalia and help the TFG win the support of the Somali people. Our officials in the region have urged the TFG to ensure that they include all parts of Somali society in the congress. My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, made the same point to President Yusuf of Somalia during his official visit to the UK from 20-23 February.

Somalia

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK has pledged to the African Union to establish AMISOM in Somalia; and what assistance the UK is planning to provide to  (a) the National Security and Stabilization Plan and  (b) the part of the plan relating to the re-establishment and training of all-inclusive Somali security forces.

Ian McCartney: In addition to advisory support to the African Union (AU) through our Representation to the AU, based in our Embassy in Addis Ababa, we are considering a significant financial contribution in this financial year to help fund the cost of the mission. We will consider further support as detailed plans for the mission develop.
	We welcomed the adoption, by the Transitional Federal Parliament of Somalia, of the National Security and Stabilization Plan last July. The Transitional Federal Government now have a window of opportunity to implement the plan. We will work with our international partners to identify areas where we will be able to assist with the development of Somalia's security sector.

Somalia: Peacekeeping Operations

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has held with her counterparts in African Union nations on supplying troops to the peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: Our officials in several African Union (AU) states have been in touch with their host Governments over possible troop contributions to the AU Mission in Somalia.
	We welcome the unanimous adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1744, sponsored by the UK, on 20 February 2007, which authorises the mission.

Zimbabwe: Diamonds

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the Zimbabwean Government's plan to nationalise the country's diamond resources on UK interests in Zimbabwe.

Ian McCartney: We are not aware of any firm action to nationalise the country's diamond resources. However, we understand that the Government of Zimbabwe is currently considering the introduction of a new Bill enabling them to compel foreign owned companies to cede half their equity to indigenous owners across all industrial and commercial sectors. Our Embassy in Harare continues to monitor developments on this issue. We would of course oppose such a move as economically destructive.

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 7 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1009W, on 10 Downing street: repairs and maintenance, what works are planned for the 2007 calendar year.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 9 October 2006,  Official Report, column 5W, to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Sarah Teather).

Departments: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Prime Minister what databases are controlled by his Office; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.

Tony Blair: My Office maintains a number of databases covering a range of internal administrative functions, including electronic record management.

Lords Lieutenant

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister which Lords Lieutenant have been appointed since 2003.

Tony Blair: A list of Lords Lieutenant, individual dates of appointment and expected retirement has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Petitions: Internet

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether he plans to reply by personal e-mail to each of the petitioners who have signed up to each of the petitions posted on the Number 10 website;
	(2)  what criteria he uses to decide  (a) which petitions merit a response from him and  (b) the timing of a response.

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister how many e-petitions have been posted on the Downing street website; and what proportion of closed e-petitions have received a non-automated email response on the issue of the petition.

David Evennett: To ask the Prime Minister how many individuals have signed Downing street e-petitions since the system went live.

Tony Blair: Information on the number of e-petitions and the number of individuals who have signed e-petitions is a matter of public record, and is available on the No. 10 website.
	Information on replies to e-petitions is also available on the No. 10 website, and a copy of the relevant webpage has been placed in the Library of the House.

Petitions: Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government plan to hold the  (a) names,  (b) contact details and  (c) e-mail addresses of the individuals who sign a Downing street e-petition after the petition is closed.

Tony Blair: The privacy policy for e-petitions is available on the No. 10 website (http: //petitions.pm.gov.uk/privacy). A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Petitions: Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of the Downing street e-petition initiative; and whether he plans to give a bonus to the staff members responsible for the project.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1097W. Details of any individual bonuses are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) her Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The information is as follows:
	 (a) There have been no involuntary staff exit schemes since 1997-98 and none are planned for 2007-08
	 (b) While there have been some voluntary early departures between 1997 and 2005, information about redundancy costs is not held centrally due to previous machinery of government changes and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Voluntary staff exit schemes have been undertaken during 2006-07 and £13.4 million has been committed to date. Further voluntary exit schemes may be undertaken during 2007-08 but the overall cost is not yet known.

Judiciary: Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Secretary of State last met Baroness Usha Prashar to discuss judicial appointments.

Harriet Harman: The Secretary of State meets with Baroness Prashar on a regular basis. He last met her on 6 February 2007.

Supreme Court

Hugo Swire: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the likely effect of siting the new Supreme Court at the Middlesex Guildhall on the architectural status of the building.

Harriet Harman: Our plans to renovate the Middlesex Guildhall for use as the Supreme Court have been developed by renowned conservation architects Feilden and Mawson. They will reverse recent interventions that have left the building feeling cluttered and gloomy. This will improve the look of original features such as the ornate ceilings and improve visitor access and orientation. The exterior will be cleaned, yet changed very little. The building's listed status will not be affected. Our plans will achieve the long-term conservation objective of securing the upkeep of an historic building by maintaining it in beneficial use, in a sustainable manner.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Urban Regeneration

Chris Mole: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had on the role of culture in urban regeneration.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend set out her vision at the Thames Gateway Forum in November for embedding culture firmly into planning regeneration. We want to see a similar approach in all growth areas.

Specialist Sports Colleges

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her assessment is of the impact of specialist sports colleges on the level of physical activity undertaken by young people.

Richard Caborn: Most of the 422 specialist sports colleges are hub sites for school sport partnerships within the national school sport strategy. Their key aim is to raise the standards of teaching and learning of PE and school sport, and help to enhance young people's opportunities to participate in sport. The 2005-06 annual survey of school sport partnerships found that 95 per cent. of pupils in sports colleges do at least two hours high quality PE and school sport each week. This is 15 percentage points higher than the national average of 8 per cent. Also, 8 per cent. of pupils in sports colleges do two hours of PE within curriculum time.

Olympics 2012

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the revised budget for the 2012 Olympic games will be published; and if she will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent estimate she has made of the cost of hosting the 2012 Olympic games in London.

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her most recent estimate is of the budget for the London Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: Work is still under way on a number of issues, including security, contingency and the question of tax liability. I hope to be able to make an announcement in due course, when this work is concluded.

Olympics 2012

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 104W, on the Olympics, what each cost saving identified between July and October 2004 was; and what the value of each saving was.

Tessa Jowell: Reductions in the region of £235 million were identified in the costs of Infrastructure and Legacy Conversion in the period July to October 2004.

Olympics 2012

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2007,  Official Report, column 713W, on the London Olympics, if she will place the minutes of all meetings of the Budget and Revenues Sub-Group in the Library.

Tessa Jowell: The remit of the Budget and Revenues Sub-Group (February 2004 to July 2004) was to look at the costs, revenues and strategic issues affecting the proposed Olympic budget prior to the bid. The notes of the meetings of the sub-group contain information which is directly relevant to current commercial negotiations which could be prejudiced by its release.

Olympics 2012

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what effect an overspend on the Olympics would have on the National Lottery.

Tessa Jowell: The Government are considering how additional Olympic costs should be met. No conclusion has yet been reached about any further lottery contribution to the Games.

Olympics 2012

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the revised Olympic budget to be published; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Work is still under way on a number of issues, including security, contingency and the question of tax liability. I hope to be able to make an announcement in due course, when this work is concluded.

Olympics 2012

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice PricewaterhouseCoopers provided on  (a) VAT and  (b) the level of contingency for the Games in their Olympics Cost Review in 2004.

Tessa Jowell: The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report excluded VAT and did not provide advice on it. PwC have confirmed that in respect of the construction of new venues their report included an allowance for contingencies and preliminaries amounting to 23.5 per cent. This assumption was reflected in the Candidate File. PwC made no recommendation about additional programme contingency. The figure of £272 million in the redacted version of the report in the House Library is PwC's assessment of the aggregate level of project contingency, including venues and infrastructure, at 2004 prices.

National Lottery

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what impact overspend on the London Olympics would have on the national lottery.

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what impact overspend on the London Olympics would have on the national lottery.

Tessa Jowell: I am confident we will stage an excellent and well organised Games. I have been clear from the outset that the Lottery will meet some of the costs. I will inform Parliament when there is news about the costs.

School Sport Partnerships

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of school sport partnerships.

Richard Caborn: The 449 school sport partnerships we now have are a fundamental part of the infrastructure to deliver the national school sport strategy. The partnerships' key aim is to increase the percentage of five to 16-year-olds spending at least two hours a week doing high quality PE and sport. The last annual survey of school sport partnerships showed that 80 per cent. of the pupils in partnerships were doing at least two hours of high quality PE and sport in a typical week. All maintained schools are now in a school sport partnership.

Tourism and Leisure Industry

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives her Department has supported to promote the regeneration of the tourism and leisure industry in seaside towns.

Shaun Woodward: My Department invests over £50 million a year in tourism marketing through VisitBritain, which recognises the continuing importance of the seaside within British tourism.
	Likewise, my Department's support for other cultural sectors, such as built heritage, museums and leisure facilities benefits coastal towns as it does the rest of the country.
	And I am working with stakeholders outside London, including the British Resorts and Destinations Association to ensure that the country as a whole takes full advantage of the tourism opportunities of the 2012 Games.

Sports: Departmental Support

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department provides for sports at the grassroots level.

Richard Caborn: Since 1997, the Government and lottery distributing bodies between them have invested over £3 billion in physical activity and sport. £60 million of this investment has established over 3,000 community sports coach posts supported by a network of coach development officers. £100 million has been specifically invested in community sports clubs to widen access and increase participation. We have also invested in over 4,000 sports facilities.
	In addition, we have invested £34.5 million between 2006-08 in the National Sport Foundation. This investment is match funded pound for pound by the private sector, and will fund a range of projects to benefit grassroots sport.

Telephone Quiz Shows

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on telephone quiz shows on television.

Shaun Woodward: We have received a number of representations from the public and industry regarding telephone quiz shows on television. However, responsibility for the regulation of these services rests with the independent regulators, Ofcom and ICSTIS. ICSTIS is currently consulting on new regulations for Call TV quiz shows which aim to secure greater transparency for consumers and further encourage best practice in the industry.

Telephone Quiz Shows

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Services with regard to  (a) the legality of and  (b) the regulation of Call TV quiz shows; when these discussions took place; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current regulation; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: None. Officials have discussed the operation of Call TV quiz shows with the independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS) and the Office of Communications (Ofcom), the bodies responsible for the regulation of these services.
	Following an extensive review of the sector, ICSTIS is currently consulting on new regulations for Call TV quiz shows, aimed at ensuring greater transparency for consumers and to further encourage best practice in the industry.

Internet Ticket Sales

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with representatives of the music industry on the secondary selling of tickets on the internet.

Shaun Woodward: Over the past year, Ministers have had discussions with SJM Concerts, Mean Fiddler Music Group, the Concert Promoters Association and the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) as part of the DCMS ticketing summits. These discussions have focused on finding solutions to the problems associated with ticket resale on the internet and elsewhere, and Government have been working with the industry to deliver measures to improve the ticketing marketplace and tackle ticket touts.

Digital Broadcasting

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what powers are available to the Government to ensure high definition television broadcasting is available free to air on digital terrestrial television.

Shaun Woodward: The broadcasting of high definition services and the acquisition of any additional spectrum necessary for their introduction, are matters for the broadcasters. Spectrum allocation is the responsibility of Ofcom, subject to a power of direction by the Secretary of State.

Digital Broadcasting

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she has made an estimate of the average cost to an individual consumer of a move to satellite or cable digital television in order to receive high definition television broadcasting.

Shaun Woodward: The Department has made no such assessment.

Digital Broadcasting

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to ensure that the free to air digital terrestrial television platform is sustainable; and what plans she has to enable viewers using it to access high definition broadcasting.

Shaun Woodward: The digital switchover programme will enable digital terrestrial television (DTT) coverage to be extended so that it substantially matches that of current analogue services, i.e. 98.5 per cent. of the population.
	Broadcasting in high definition is essentially a decision for broadcasters. High definition uses more radio spectrum than standard definition, so broadcasters will need to consider their future spectrum use within the context of wider business needs and Ofcom's digital dividend review.

Football Grounds

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the merits of re-examining the case for the introduction of limited sections of standing areas at football grounds.

Richard Caborn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1140.

Football: Females

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to further the establishment of a taskforce on women's football; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: One of the recommendations of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on Women's football was that a taskforce should be set up to produce a blueprint for the future of women's football.
	I agreed wholeheartedly with the recommendation and understand the Football Association is currently finalising the membership of the taskforce and a date to hold the first meeting.

Olympic Games: Investment

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the £600 million World Class Pathway Olympic Games Investment is planned in each year between 2006 and 2012.

Richard Caborn: The breakdown of the planned World Class Pathway investment for the Olympics and Paralympics for the Beijing cycle is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Planned investment (£ million) 
			 2006-07 72.5 
			 2007-08 87.4 
			 2008-09 90.3 
		
	
	The planned annual investment for the London cycle will be decided after Beijing once UK Sport has carried out the post-games review and determined how the investment is to be targeted. However the total planned investment for the period 2009 to 2013 is £401.9 million.

Sports: Drugs

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the recent report on doping in sport by Michael Beloff QC; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

Richard Caborn: Neither the Department nor UK Sport, the UK's National Anti-Doping Organisation, is aware of a recent report on doping in sport by Michael Beloff QC.

TREASURY

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs provided him with in each month since January 2006 for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' contingent liabilities for provisions for disallowance arising from Common Agricultural Policy schemes, notably the single farm payment and the possible financial correction which may be demanded by the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The estimate of potential disallowances is reviewed continually by DEFRA and Rural Payments Agency officials. Provisions for potential disallowances, totalling £116 million (in respect of England only), were made in DEFRA accounts for 2005-06 (covering SPS 2005 and predating historic CAP schemes).
	On 20 February 2007, DEFRA's Spring Supplementary Estimate included a claim on the Reserve of £305 million for 2006-07. The claim provides estimate cover for provisions in respect of potential financial corrections to EC reimbursements for SPS 2005, any new provisions for SPS 2006 payments to farmers and other CAP Schemes. Final figures for provisions will be provided in DEFRA's 2006-07 accounts.

Departments: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what databases are controlled by his Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.

John Healey: The Treasury and its agencies use a wide variety of databases to support their work. Errors are dealt with when discovered.

Gift Aid

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of registered charities in Northern Ireland used the gift aid scheme in each of the last five years; and how much money was recovered by charities through the scheme in Northern Ireland over the same period.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not separately identify gift aid claims by countries of the UK.
	Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under gift aid are published on the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm. In 2005-06 a total of £750 million was repaid to UK charities under gift aid.

HM Revenue and Customs: Standards

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which performance indicators HM Revenue and Customs records on the  (a) receipt,  (b) opening,  (c) acknowledgement and  (d) answering of taxpayers' correspondence.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC does not record performance indicators for the receipt, opening or acknowledgement of taxpayers correspondence.
	Through a sampling exercise, HMRC determines and records the percentage of correspondence answered correctly and completely at 15 and 40 working days after receipt of the correspondence in the Department. Validated results are only available annually.

Pensioners: Means Tested Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioner households were subject to  (a) 20,  (b) 30,  (c) 40,  (d) 50 and  (e) 60 per cent. and above marginal deduction rates taking account of tax deduction and loss of means-tested benefits in (i) the most recent year for which figures are available and (ii) 1997-98.

James Purnell: I have been asked to reply.
	The available information is given in the table. Comparable estimates for 1997-98 are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Government's strategy to tackle pensioner poverty since 1997 has helped to lift one million pensioners out of relative poverty. The introduction of pension credit has also reduced significantly the number of pensioners facing 100 per cent. marginal deduction rates—between 1.8 million and 2.2 million pensioner households were entitled to income support in 1997-98 and would have faced £1 for £1 deductions on additional income.
	The proposed reforms to the state pension system will ensure that those with a good history of working or saving towards retirement will be taken clear of pension credit entitlement while maintaining a minimum income for those who were unable to build up a sufficient state or private pension.
	
		
			  Estimated marginal deduction rates for pensioner households, 2006-07 
			  Marginal deduction rate (Percentage)  Number of pensioner households  Percentage of pensioner households 
			 0 to 9 300,000 3 
			 10 to 19 270,000 3 
			 20 to 29 3,230,000 37 
			 30 to 39 650,000 8 
			 40 to 49 630,000 7 
			 50 to 59 1,390,000 16 
			 60 to 99 1,320,000 15 
			 100 890,000 10 
			  Notes: 1. Marginal deduction rate estimates measure the effect on net income of a marginal increase in gross income, assuming this is fully taken into account for income tax and income-related benefit entitlements. 2. Estimates assume full take-up of income-related benefit entitlements. 3. Estimates of numbers of pensioner households are rounded to the nearest 10 thousand. 4. Estimates of percentages of pensioner households are rounded to the nearest per cent. and may not sum to 100.  Source:  DWP Policy Simulation Model

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in which business areas within HM Revenue and Customs there were delays beyond target response times in processing correspondence in each of the last three months; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC aims to deal correctly and completely with 80 per cent. of post from customers within 15 working days of receipt. Validated results are only available annually.

Taxation: Film

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the British film industry of the tax breaks for films made in the UK announced in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: New tax reliefs for the production of British films were announced in 2005 and included in the Finance Act 2006. They came into effect from 1 January 2007. It is therefore too early to be able to say what effect they have yet had. However, the new reliefs were developed in close consultation with the industry and we anticipate that they will be extremely effective in promoting a sustainable British film industry.

Valuation Office

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings the Valuation Office Agency has had with local government representatives since January 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: It is an inherent part of the Valuation Office Agency's responsibilities that it works closely with local government. Accordingly there are numerous meetings with local government representatives over the course of a year on a range of service delivery issues. No central record is maintained so the Valuation Office Agency can only provide this information at disproportionate cost.

Valuation Office

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether tax officials from HM Revenue and Customs have legal rights of access to the property database provided by Rightmove for the Valuation Office Agency.

Dawn Primarolo: The contract giving access to Rightmove's database of property records (i.e. records that had previously appeared on the rightmove.co.uk website) is between Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Rightmove.co.uk plc—the sharing or use of data is subject to the provisions of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. Tax officials have not therefore had access to the Rightmove property data.

VAT: Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he is making in negotiations with EU partners on extending the categories of permitted reduced VAT rates to include energy efficient products and the purchase of energy saving materials for DIY installation.

Dawn Primarolo: There have been no negotiations on reduced rates of VAT since ECOFIN reached agreement on 24 January 2006 (subject to confirmation, which was later received, by three member states) on an extension of the arrangements for reduced rates of VAT for labour-intensive services.

VAT: Fraud

David Burrowes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in VAT repayments has been withheld pending the extended verification process arising from missing trader intra-community fraud investigations.

Dawn Primarolo: The requested information cannot be disclosed as to do so would undermine the measures introduced by HM Revenue and Customs to counter missing trader intra-community fraud and as such prejudice the assessment and collection of tax.

VAT: Fraud

David Burrowes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been recovered from convictions arising from missing trader intra-community fraud since 2004-05.

Dawn Primarolo: The HMRC Annual Report 2005-06 provided the total amount recovered or frozen in action against persons and companies involved in MTIC fraud, copies of which are available in the House Library.
	The HMRC Report 2004-05 did not contain this information and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

VAT: Fraud

David Burrowes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what average length of time investigations took to verify VAT claims which may be affected by missing trader intra-community fraud in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs does not collate the information requested and would incur disproportionate costs in doing so.
	Each case of verification is treated on its own merits, the time taken to reach a decision being that required to fully establish the veracity of the claim. However, if at any time during the verification HM Revenue and Customs identifies that part or the entire claim is unconnected to MTIC fraud and is otherwise valid, HM Revenue and Customs will make prompt repayment of the amount.
	The UK courts have, to date, supported HMRC's policy.

VAT: Schools

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce the VAT liability of schools which encourage use of their premises by their local community.

Dawn Primarolo: Community, foundation and voluntary controlled schools should not incur VAT costs on school buildings that are also made available for community use. Local authorities usually reclaim from HMRC all VAT relating to the construction of these buildings, even when the premises are also offered for use by the local community outside school hours. In relation to voluntary aided schools, government grants for new school buildings should be provided on a VAT inclusive basis where VAT will be chargeable on the construction.
	VAT is not chargeable on the construction of non-local authority schools operated by charities, such as academies, provided that charged and other non-charitable use of the building does not account for 10 per cent. or more of total use. An academy can therefore offer unlimited non-charged use of its facilities without incurring any VAT costs and, under the 10 per cent. allowance mentioned above, a 1,000 student academy can provide charged use of its facilities for around 50 people per day on average without incurring any VAT costs on construction.
	The Government recognize that VAT rules can constrain the extent to which academies can offer facilities on a charged basis to the local community without incurring a VAT charge on construction costs. HM Treasury is working closely with DfES and HMRC on a principled solution.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department sets a target time limit in which to reply to Members' inquiries about tax credits on behalf of their constituents; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs as a Department aims to deal with 80 per cent. of all correspondence within 15 working days and 95 per cent. of correspondence within 40 working days.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credits recipients have encountered problems with  (a) payments being transferred into their bank accounts and  (b) receiving manual payments due to technical problems with the Tax Credit Office computer system since 1 April 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested.

HEALTH

Agenda for Change

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to increase the resources made available to the NHS to support the implementation of  (a) Agenda for Change,  (b) the consultants' contract and  (c) the general medical services contract in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08; what the overspend was on each of these contracts in (A) 2004-05 and (B) 2005-06; and whether she anticipates spending on these contracts exceeding their funding envelope in 2006-07.

Rosie Winterton: We have no plans to further increase the funding already made available for the implementation of agenda for change, which rises from £950 million in 2005-06 to £1,390 million in 2006-07 and to £1,780 million in 2007-08. Estimates based on a sample of trusts in 2005 suggested that in the first 12 months earnings costs exceeded those forecast by around £120 million or 0.5 per cent. of the agenda for change paybill, with at least a further £100 million in additional hours and leave costs. Actual costs for 2006-07 will depend on experience of the operation of the new Agenda for Change pay progression arrangements.
	We invested additional recurrent funding to meet the costs of the consultant contract over the three-year period from 2003-04 to 2005-06, and have no plans to further increase the funding already made available. Representations from trusts in late 2004 suggested that the costs of the consultant contract had exceeded plans by around £150 million, mainly due to higher levels of programmed activities. We uplifted the tariff for 2005-06 by this amount, although evidence obtained subsequently suggested an excess cost of the order of £90 million rather than £150 million.
	The cost of the general medical services contract in 2006-07 is currently estimated to be £7.8 billion. This is an increase of £0.1 billion over the previous year. Information on 2007-08 costs and funding is not yet available.
	Information on the general medical services contract spend, based on actual audited figures for 2004-05, indicates an overspend of £155 million. Current forecasts, based on primary care trust returns, indicate an overspend in 2005-06 of £252 million. Latest forecasts available for 2006-07 suggest that primary care trusts will manage overall spend within their allocations.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been allocated to Enfield primary care trust for alcohol treatment for 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: The Department has allocated £384 million to Enfield primary care trust (PCT) in 2007-08, of which £1.5 million is separately identified to support various "Choosing Health" White Paper initiatives including alcohol treatment services. However, PCTs are responsible within the national health service for commissioning and funding services for their resident populations. It is for PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many casualties were admitted to  (a) Sunderland Royal hospital,  (b) Hartlepool University hospital and  (c) Durham University hospital owing to drink-related injuries in each of the last five years; and how many casualties were treated in the accident and emergency departments of each hospital for drink-related injuries in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Antibiotics

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the consumption of antibiotics in England for medical purposes was in each year since 2004.

Caroline Flint: The estimated cost of antibiotics dispensed in hospitals and in the community in England in 2004 and 2005 is shown in the table:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2004  2005 
			 Community dispensing—net ingredient cost 170,939.00 161,987.50 
			 Estimated hospital cost 254,172.70 246,248.30 
			 Estimated total 425,111.70 408,235.80 
		
	
	Community dispensing data are taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system and use the British National Formulary (BNF) definition of Antibacterial Drugs, section 5.1. Hospital cost data are provided by IMS Health and include drugs from the same BNF section.

Blood: Haemophilia

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the first adverse liver result related to the use of blood products with haemophilia was reported under the terms of the Medicines Act 1968 and subsequent legislation; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Reports of adverse reactions to medicines are collated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) through the voluntary spontaneous reporting scheme, the yellow card scheme.
	The first report of hepatitis (liver inflammation) associated with the use of a factor VIII product was received by the MHRA via the yellow card scheme in 1976.
	Before 1986, some blood clotting factor preparations were contaminated with hepatitis C virus, because blood clotting factors were derived from pooled blood received from many different blood donors. Some people with haemophilia who received blood clotting factor concentrates before 1986 were infected with the hepatitis C virus. However, commercial heat-treated factor VIII products became widely available in 1984 and from the beginning of 1986 all commercial factor VIII products authorised for use in the United Kingdom were made from screened plasma and heat treated to prevent transmission of hepatitis and HIV viruses.

Blood: Screening

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many primary care trusts operate community blood test clinics;
	(2)  which primary care trusts have moved blood testing services from community-based clinics to hospital facilities.

Caroline Flint: This information is not collected centrally. The provision of phlebotomy services (where patients give blood samples for testing) is a matter for the national health service to decide locally in the light of clinically appropriate practice and efficient service delivery.

Contraceptives

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the costs and benefits of providing free condoms in GP surgeries.

Caroline Flint: No formal assessment of the costs and benefits of providing free condoms in general practice has been undertaken but it is a key aim of the Government to improve sexual health by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies and spread of sexually transmitted infections. The national health service already issues around 38 million free condoms each year. While general practitioners are unable to issue condoms on prescription, many GP surgeries already issue free condoms as part of locally agreed condom distribution schemes with primary care trusts. We welcome these partnerships. As well as providing access to condoms through general practice, we must ensure that they are easily accessible at appropriate places and venues to those at highest risk.

Departments: Equal Opportunities

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has  (a) a gender strategy and  (b) a gender equality action plan in place.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 2 March 2007
	The Department's single equality scheme sets out the way in which the Department intends to meet its duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 as amended by the Equality Act 2006. The Department will also progress action on religion or belief, sexual orientation and age through this scheme.
	This single equality scheme outlines how the Department will address the various aspects of the three duties, including the gender equality duty, specified in the legislation. This includes specific gender strategy and action plans and the way in which the Department will conduct its equality impact assessments (EqlAs). Information gathering to support EqlAs will including monitoring data, consultation processes and research.
	Implementation of the scheme will be monitored as part of the mainstream business planning process. Progress will be reported to the Permanent Secretary and the lead Minister of State for Health with responsibility for equality and human rights, the Departmental Management Board and the Corporate Management Committee on a six-monthly basis by the Director of Equality and Human Rights.
	The Department has established a gender advisory group to
	advise the Department on current health and inequality trends,
	provide consultative forum on outward facing policy initiatives that impact on the national health service,
	review and monitor implementation of policy as a critical friend, and
	work with stakeholders and partners to commission research and organise awareness raising events across the NHS.

Diversity Training

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to her Department was of diversity training during  (a) 2002 and  (b) 2003; what programmes took place and at what cost, in 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Precise information about the Department's spending on diversity training is not held as the costs of training are recorded in aggregate.
	No specific training programmes on diversity were held in 2006, although as part of its single equality scheme, published in December 2006, the Department is developing plans to deliver further equality training to staff during 2007.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has recently been allocated by her Department for drug services in  (a) Bristol,  (b) Birmingham,  (c) Manchester,  (d) Liverpool and  (e) Leeds for 2007-08.

Caroline Flint: The pooled drug treatment budget for 2007-08, for Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds is as follows.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Bristol 4,952,734 
			 Birmingham 13,465,523 
			 Manchester 7,556,640 
			 Liverpool 7,825,875 
			 Leeds 6,766,633

Family Planning

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps her Department is taking to ensure women and men have access to community contraceptive services; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what consideration her Department has given to  (a) setting a target for and  (b) allocating more resources to reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies among women over the age of 25; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Government acknowledge that the provision of contraception is an essential health care service. In "Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier", the Government acknowledged that contraceptive services need to be developed and modernised, and made a commitment to undertake a baseline review of service provision. The results of this review will be produced very shortly. In addition we will publish accompanying best practice guidance on reproductive health care in the spring.
	Assessment of performance against national targets is a component of the "quality of services" element of the Healthcare Commission's annual healthcheck. In 2006-07 one of the indicators is for Reproductive Healthcare which includes a series of questions for primary care trusts (PCTs) on access to contraception for women of all ages, including those aged over 25.
	Additional investment for contraceptive services has been allocated with Choosing Health funding for PCTs in 2006-07 and 2007-08. However, it is for PCT to determine what level of contraceptive service they provide, from whom they commission the services and the level of funding for services, in order to meet the needs of their local population.

Food: Labelling

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Food Standards Agency made of  (a) barcode scanners,  (b) calorie calculators and  (c) other electronic devices in its approach to food labelling.

Caroline Flint: Within the context of the European Union review of food labelling, the Food Standards Agency is considering the issue of how information is presented to the consumer. Developments in new technology and their potential benefits in the provision of consumer information are one aspect of this.

Haemophilia

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expert advice was received by the Department of Health about the psychological impact of informing people with haemophilia  (a) of their increased risk of developing vCJD and  (b) that they were considered an at risk group for public health purposes; what steps were taken to ensure that psychological support would be available to those affected; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The notification exercise by the Health Protection Agency was delivered through the clinicians who treat people with haemophilia and bleeding disorders. These specialist clinicians are the best placed to advise their patients, to counsel them and to present information about risk.
	In advance of the notification exercise the United Kingdom haemophilia doctors association, in consultation with the haemophilia patients' association, was asked for and provided its views on the handling of the notification exercise.

Haemophilia

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings officials have had with strategic health authority chief executives on the service level agreement applied to the provision of Recombinant Factor VIII to haemophiliacs; and whether the service level agreement has been finalised.

Caroline Flint: On 12 February 2003 the Government announced an extra £88 million over three years to extend the availability of recombinant (synthetic) clotting factors for adult haemophiliacs in England. To help extend the availability of recombinant, the Government provided the following additional funding:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 13 
			 2004-05 21.7 
			 2005-06 53.4 
		
	
	This funding was made available following a long campaign by the haemophilia lobby groups. Funding was available from the programme budget.
	The roll-out programme for recombinant began in January 2004, and all haemophilia patients in England are now eligible for treatment with recombinant products.
	Funding is now allocated to strategic health authorities through the national health service bundle, and will be managed through a service level agreement.

Health Professions: Regulation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which organisations have submitted responses to her Department's review of the regulation of non-medical healthcare professions;
	(2)  which organisations have submitted responses to the Chief Medical Officer's report Good doctors, safer patients: Proposals to strengthen the system to assure and improve the performance of doctors and to protect the safety of patients.

Rosie Winterton: There was a joint consultation exercise for both the Department's review of the regulation of non-medical healthcare professions and the Chief Medical Officer's report 'Good doctors, safer patients'. Our records show that 493 organisations responded. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Health Services

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the report of Professor Fryer entitled "Learning for a change in healthcare"; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 February 2007
	Professor Fryer's report is currently under consideration and out for wider consultation. We will provide a substantive response to his recommendations in due course.

Heroin

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received treatment following the illegal use of heroin in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Information about how many people received treatment following the illegal use of heroin is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Heroin as primary drug of use  Heroin as second drug of use 
			 2003-04 78,931 3,656 
			 2004-05 80,274 6,999 
			 2005-06 109,100 9,714 
		
	
	The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) was introduced in England from 1 April 2001. Provisional data for total numbers presenting and numbers in drug treatment for 2001-02 and 2002-03 is not in a format to allow robust analysis of drug of misuse of those in treatment.
	The information requested prior to 2001 is not available.

HIV

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with HIV in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The HIV case load for each London borough from 2001 to 2005 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of diagnosed HIV-infected individuals resident in London local authorities, 2001-05 
			   Survey year 
			  Local authority  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Barking and Dagenham 216 198 482 583 635 
			 Barnet 588 413 780 805 898 
			 Bexley 125 114 211 269 308 
			 Brent 835 571 1,129 1,224 1,339 
			 Bromley 239 167 331 399 468 
			 Camden 1,606 1,036 2,042 2,083 2,074 
			 City of London 25 26 52 61 77 
			 Croydon 1,000 790 1,110 1,339 1,447 
			 Ealing 731 468 969 1,045 1,176 
			 Enfield 444 348 740 854 991 
			 Greenwich 540 435 952 1,087 1,203 
			 Hackney 961 747 1,400 1,632 1,796 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,314 851 1,543 1,653 1,741 
			 Haringey 1,166 787 1,529 1,664 1,810 
			 Harrow 210 168 351 397 424 
			 Havering 62 66 142 156 187 
			 Hillingdon 279 196 423 501 544 
			 Hounslow 481 350 774 883 967 
			 Islington 1,167 843 1,724 1,841 1,900 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,356 833 1,521 1,600 1,732 
			 Kingston upon Thames 229 122 255 293 334 
			 Lambeth 2,409 1,669 3,341 3,629 3,984 
			 Lewisham 976 734 1,524 1,626 1,774 
			 Merton 351 282 536 624 688 
			 Newham 1,267 903 1,852 1,981 2,104 
			 Redbridge 347 259 559 657 695 
			 Richmond upon Thames 267 180 327 325 354 
			 Southwark 1,584 1,246 2,488 2,819 3,154 
			 Sutton 166 134 252 317 343 
			 Tower Hamlets 694 576 1,169 1,281 1,402 
			 Waltham Forest 652 469 1,042 1,101 1,209 
			 Wandsworth 1,076 730 1,379 1,498 1,632 
			 Westminster 1,388 886 1,732 1,924 2,020 
			 London: LA not known 1,487 15 4 0 54 
			  Source: Survey of Prevalent HIV Infections Diagnosed (SOPHID), 2001-05. SOPHID collects residential and epidemiological information on individuals accessing HIV care within a calendar year in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Institute for Innovation and Improvement

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time staff work at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement; what the Institute's budget is for 2006-07; how much has been spent on the Institute since its inception; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: As of 19 February 2007 157 full time (of which 21 are temporary) and 44 part-time (of which 29 are temporary) staff work at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.
	The 2006-07 revenue budget signed off by the NHS Institute's board in June was £82 million. The NHS Institute's year to date expenditure for 2006-07 as at December 2006 is £34 million and the full year expenditure in 2005-06 was £45 million. This equates to £79 million spend between July 2005 (the time of the Institute's inception) and December 2006.

Liver Screening

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when she expects the FibroScan test for liver stiffness to be available in the NHS;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of  (a) the efficacy and  (b) the cost-effectiveness of the FibroScan test for liver stiffness.

Caroline Flint: We understand that FibroScan machines are already available for national health service organisations to purchase, should they decide to do so. The NHS Health Technology Assessment Programme (www.hta.nhsweb.nhs.uk) is considering commissioning a review of research literature on the effectiveness of different methods of assessing degree of liver fibrosis.

Medical Equipment: Prices

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the  (a) Office of Fair Trading and  (b) Competition Commission were consulted in drawing up the proposed pricing model in the Department of Health's Consultation Paper "Arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances under Part IX of the Drug Tariff".

Caroline Flint: The pricing model was not included in the consultation paper relating to arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within Part IX of the Drug Tariff, but was in a companion paper, "Arrangements for the reimbursement pricing of stoma and incontinence appliances under Part IX of the Drug Tariff'.
	Neither the Office of Fair Trading nor the Competition Commission was consulted in drawing up the proposed pricing model. However, the proposed pricing model is based on economic principles recognised by both organisations with regard to pricing behaviour in competitive markets.

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people have smartcards to access the care records database; and how many it is estimated will have smartcards when the database is fully rolled out;
	(2)  which non-NHS staff will have access to the NHS Care Records database.

Caroline Flint: All users of the new care records spine database are issued with a smartcard. As at the end of January 2007 there were some 320,000 authorised users registered for access.
	The early adopter implementation of the summary care record will be phased, initially being deployed in a small number of healthcare communities. Access to the system across these communities will be limited to healthcare professionals in accident and emergency departments, primary care out of hours services, walk-in centres, and minor injuries units that require access for the provision of care. Over time, our obligations to patients who receive care outside traditional national health service settings—for example in the voluntary sector, from mixed teams of health and social care professionals, and in the independent sector under contract to the NHS—will mean that by the time an electronic care record has been created for every NHS patient in England in 2010 we anticipate there will be in excess of 850,000 users.
	In all cases, access to records will only be permitted for the staff of organisations involved in delivering care to NHS patients, working as part of a team that is providing a patient with care, and will be limited to only as much information as is needed for the purpose of the care or other job role being performed in relation to the patient. Where those providing care are not NHS staff, patients will be informed of this and any objections raised will be respected.

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which  (a) clinical and  (b) administrative staff codes will have access to the NHS Care Records database;
	(2)  how  (a) the audit trail,  (b) role-based access and  (c) legitimate relationships operate when smartcards are shared between NHS personnel; and what security measures are in place to protect patient confidentiality when smartcard access is shared.

Caroline Flint: Access to the national health service care records service (NHS CRS) is determined by local NHS organisations using policies, processes and technology provided by NHS Connecting for Health. In general only staff who are working as part of a team that is providing a patient with care—that is, those having a legitimate relationship with the patient—will be able to see a patient's health record.
	Because of the differences that exist between and within organisations in the duties and responsibilities of individual staff within their work teams, access is not uniquely determined by profession, specialism or grade. Users are vetted and sponsored by their local organisations for specific access appropriate to their job role and area of work. Stringent proof of identity is required along with the endorsement of the local sponsor, a senior member of staff, for the receipt of a smartcard, a secure token that, together with a passcode, confirms the identity of a user at the time of access.
	NHS organisations must undertake to observe strict conditions to ensure the NHS CRS is used appropriately, and the user is required to sign up to a set of conditions for use of the smartcard. The obligations and conditions are complemented by the various existing codes of conduct and professional responsibilities by which all NHS staff are bound. These obligations and conditions are assessed on a regular basis with the organisation, and the user is subject to local and national checking through audit trails and alerts.
	Actions that do not conform to these obligations and conditions, which includes the sharing of smartcards, are dealt with locally. Sharing of information between members of a team has happened routinely prior to the introduction of smartcards. However, though there is no evidence that smartcards have been shared beyond members working as part of a team that legitimately needs access to a patients record, we recognise that the sharing of smartcards can undermine the assurance that patient confidentiality will always be appropriately respected. Staff who breach patient confidentiality are subject to professional disciplinary measures. Offending doctors and nurses will be reported to their professional regulatory bodies and may face additional disciplinary action, including removal of their licence to practice.
	Arrangements known as role-based access controls will limit what a member of staff can do within the system and consequently which parts of a record he or she can see. Access to record content will therefore be controlled by a member of staff's relationship with the patient, and by what they need to see to do their jobs. Senior clinicians within an organisation will also be able to see patient records when assuring the quality of care provided by their staff, but other access will only be authorised when required or permitted by law.

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times a day the care records database was accessed in the last period for which figures are available; and how many times a day she expects it to be accessed when it is fully rolled out.

Caroline Flint: On a typical working day, by the end of January 2007, the spine database, which forms the core of the NHS care records service (NHS CRS), was being accessed by around 50,000 authenticated unique users. And during the last full week of January 2007, the approximate volumes of messages processed in connection with the following systems and services were
	personal demographic service—six and a half million
	choose and book electronic booking service—over 1.4 million
	electronic transmission of prescriptions—half a million.
	Growth in all these volumes is rising dramatically with the increase in functionality across the NHS CRS and continuing roll-out of the various elements of the system, but already the spine is the world's biggest structured health care messaging system.
	It is not possible to provide a realistic estimate of what these volumes will be by the time substantial integration of health and social care information systems in England has been achieved by 2010. These will depend significantly on the way in which health care management and delivery processes in the NHS adapt and develop to reflect the enormous potential of the systems and services being delivered under the national programme for information technology.

Midwives: Manpower

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time equivalent midwives per 1,000 maternities there were working in the NHS in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by NHS trust; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 February 2007
	This information has been placed in the Library.
	Please note that these are estimates. Compatibility between the deliveries information and staff in post is not strict, as the deliveries information covers the financial year and the work force census information is at 30 September 2004.

Midwives: Manpower

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time equivalent midwives per 1,000 maternities were working in the NHS in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by NHS trust; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 February 2007
	A reply has been given today.

Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Milton Keynes primary care trust is considering the removal of the physiotherapy provision to some Milton Keynes GP practices as part of its service review.

Caroline Flint: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities to analyse their local situation and develop plans, in liaison with their local national health service trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high quality NHS services.
	The NHS South Central has advised that in summer 2006, Milton Keynes PCT considered re-tendering all physiotherapy services. The proposal was not pursued.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Drugs

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consideration she has given to the merits of strengthening  (a) safeguards against and  (b) the reporting of the use of unlicensed drugs, with particular reference to the administration of spinal injections to treat acute and chronic back pain;
	(2)  what steps she has taken to prevent consultants and doctors working in  (a) the NHS and  (b) the private sector from offering treatment requiring the use of (i) unlicensed drugs and (ii) spinal injections to treat acute and chronic back pain.

Caroline Flint: Under the current medicines legislation, doctors and consultants, whether working in the national health service or in the private healthcare sector, are free to use their own clinical judgment to use an unlicensed medicine or a spinal injection when they consider that to be in the best interests of an individual patient. Doctors and consultants are personally responsible for such decisions and must comply with the legislation. There are no plans to change this.

NHS: Drugs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rules apply to  (a) consultants and  (b) general practitioners working within the NHS in respect of the receipt by them of (i) gifts from drug companies and (ii) attendances at seminars or similar events outside the UK, where such events are financed by drug companies.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 February 2007
	Measures to prohibit both the offer by pharmaceutical companies of financial or other inducements to prescribe medicines and their acceptance by consultants and general practitioners are contained in the Medicines (Advertising) Regulations 1994. Where medicines are being promoted to them, the regulations prohibit the offer or acceptance of any gift, pecuniary advantage or benefit in kind unless it is inexpensive and relevant to the practice of medicine. The regulations permit the acceptance by health professionals of hospitality at meetings, provided it is strictly limited to the scientific or promotional purpose of the meeting.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency investigates complaints under the regulations. This is supported by industry self-regulation under the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry code of practice for the pharmaceutical industry.
	Allegations of the acceptance of a prohibited inducement may also be referred to the General Medical Council.

NHS: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much of the centrally funded initiatives and services and special allocations budget was spent on  (a) strategic health authorities,  (b) primary care trusts,  (c) NHS hospitals,  (d) general practitioners and  (e) private companies operating in the health service in each of the last five years; and on what services the money was spent;
	(2)  what the budget was for the Centrally Funded Initiatives and Special Allocations fund in 2005-06; and how much of the budget was spent;
	(3)  what percentage of the budget for the Centrally Funded Initiatives and Special Allocations fund was allocated to  (a) strategic health authorities and  (b) primary care trusts in each of the last three years; and what the money was used for.

Andy Burnham: Tables have been placed in the Library in respect of the centrally funded initiatives services and special allocations programme for years 2002-03 to 2006-07. These include details of:
	allocations made to strategic health authorities;
	allocations made to primary care trusts (PCTs);
	the percentage that the above figures for 2002-03 to 2005-06 represent of the total final programme; and
	the major areas of the Department's expenditure with national health service trusts.
	Information on Departmental expenditure with general practitioners and private sector companies operating in the health service can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of expenditure incurred by the Department, including the NHS, from overall resources can be found in the annually published Department of Health resource accounts. From 2004-05 a further breakdown of expenditure by programme budget category is provided.
	The budget established for the 2005-06 centrally funded initiatives services and special allocations programme prior to the start of the year was £18,300 million. Total expenditure, including allocations to NHS bodies, was £18,736 million. The increase was funded by adjustments to PCT allocations largely for payments by results, multi-professional education and training and the national specialist commissioning.

NHS: IT

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the average percentage of the overall budget of  (a) primary care trusts and  (b) NHS trusts which was spent on IT in the most recent period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what average percentage of the allocation to an  (a) primary care trust and  (b) NHS trust is for information technology expenditure.

Caroline Flint: The great majority of funding allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) is not ring fenced, and national health service trusts do not receive allocations but are paid for the provision of care services commissioned from them by PCTs. Each NHS organisation is free, and expected, to use its resources in the way that delivers the best available value for money.
	Information technology (IT) expenditure reported by the NHS in the 2005-06 financial year amounted to £1,329 million, broken down as follows:
	strategic health authorities (SHAs)—£24 million; and
	PCTs—£484 million; and
	NHS Trusts—£821 million.
	 Note
	Figures rounded to the nearest whole £ million.
	These figures comprise revenue expenditure (£1,096 million) reported through a national survey of IT investment, and capital expenditure, including software licences, identified in NHS accounts (£214 million) and reported by foundation trusts (£19 million). They do not include expenditure by special health authorities or central expenditure funded by the Department.
	Based on data for those bodies submitting responses to the 2006 survey, spending in 2005-06 on IT represented
	8.1 per cent. of total NHS trust (comprising acute, mental health, and ambulance trusts and foundation trusts), and 18.6 per cent. of total PCT capital expenditure; and
	1.8 per cent. of total NHS trust, and 1.6 per cent. of total PCT revenue expenditure.
	Based on the returns from the 2006 survey, the average percentage of:
	total capital expenditure which NHS bodies as a whole spent on IT in 2005-06 was 10.42 per cent.; and
	total revenue expenditure which NHS bodies as a whole spent on IT in 2005-06 was 1.63 per cent.
	Based on the returns from the 2006 survey, the average percentage of combined capital and revenue expenditure which NHS bodies as a whole spent on IT in 2005-06 was 1.92 per cent, equivalent to 2.02 per cent. if extrapolated across all 598 NHS organisations.
	Full information from the 2006 survey will be available in the near future. A breakdown of the returns by each strategic health authority, PCT and NHS Trust has been placed in the Library.
	 Notes
	1. Figures for PCT expenditure relate mainly to their functions as commissioning bodies.
	2. With effect from 2004-05, NHS Foundation Trusts (FTs) have not been required to submit financial returns to the Department, and consequently FT data is only included where such data has been reported voluntarily through the national survey of NHS IT expenditure.
	3. Percentage expenditure derives from returns provided in 2005-06 by 565 out of 598 NHS organisations in response to the national survey, supplemented with data on capital expenditure from NHS accounts where returns were not submitted.
	4. The total revenue expenditure on IT is the sum of returns provided by 565 out of 598 NHS organisations in response to the national survey. However, if this figure were to be extrapolated across all 598 surveyed NHS organisations, it is estimated this would give an overall nationwide total of over £1,160 million. (Note: the survey data has not been subject to independent audit so this figure needs to be treated with a degree of caution).

NHS: IT

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the overall cost to NHS trusts of upgrading older versions of the software for the Connecting for Health IT System.

Caroline Flint: Information about local national health service spending by primary care trusts, NHS trusts and other NHS organisations on the national programme for information technology, to complement the investment from central funding, is not collected centrally. NHS organisations have always been responsible for paying for and maintaining their existing information systems, and funding for this is built into general allocations.
	What we do know is that any costs associated with implementation of the national programme locally are very significantly outweighed by the savings accrued from participation in the programme. Most notably, some £4.5 billion has been saved by central rather than local procurement, a figure confirmed by independent industry analysts. In addition, savings have been achieved in the prices paid by the NHS for information technology goods and services due to the central buying power of NHS Connecting for Health, as well as in NHS staff time saved through using the programme's systems and services. For example, the National Audit Office has acknowledged savings of £860 million achieved through centrally negotiated enterprise wide arrangements.
	In addition, primary care trusts (PCTs) have been specifically reimbursed for funds spent on upgrading existing general practitioner practice systems to make them "choose and book compliant", and funding support has also been made available to support NHS trusts deploying a choose and book compliant patient administration system.
	The commercial and organisational models employed in delivering the national programme continue to produce exceptional value for the taxpayer by avoiding multiple procurements and significantly reducing unit costs for applications and systems.

NHS: Training

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that staff in the lowest pay bands and career grades in the NHS are able to take advantage of work-related learning.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 February 2007
	For those staff on agenda for change terms and conditions of service, the knowledge and skills framework provides staff at all levels with a cyclical review process linked to pay progression which enables knowledge and skills gaps to be identified. This process underpins training and development activity.
	We also gave £180 million pump-priming funding to strategic health authorities (SHAs) over three years from 2002-03 to 2005-06 to support staff in the lowest pay bands and career grades to take-up of National Vocational Qualifications and Learning Accounts. Following this pump-priming we devolved further funding responsibility to SHAs in 2006-07.

Orthoptics: Manpower

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many orthoptists are employed by each  (a) acute trust,  (b) foundation trust and  (c) primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: This information has been placed in the Library.

Overseas Patients

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been invoiced by the NHS to other countries in the European Union for services received by those countries' citizens in England and Wales for the last financial period for which figures are available, broken down by country.

Rosie Winterton: The Department is the Competent Institution for the United Kingdom matters with the European Union for implementing Regulations 1408/71 and 572/72 in the UK. Under the terms of these regulation reimbursements are settled for the whole UK rather than the constituent parts.
	The following table shows, in resource terms, the estimated costs of treatment provided by the national health service for persons insured in other European Economic Area (EEA) member states under the terms of Regulations 1408/71 and 574/72, which the UK would reclaim from the states concerned. These are estimated claims in accordance with existing arrangements under Regulation 574/72. During 2005-06 the UK charged £56.7 million for the treatment provided up to March 2006 by the NHS.
	Estimated claims against other EEA member states 2005-06
	:
	
		
			   £000 
			  Country  2005-06 
			 Austria 474 
			 Belgium 2,182 
			 France 3,312 
			 Germany 16 
			 Greece 807 
			 Iceland 9 
			 Ireland 20,742 
			 Italy 4,034 
			 Netherlands 1,699 
			 Portugal 3 
			 Spain 815 
			 Sweden 773 
			  Notes: 1. The information is compiled in line with the requirements of "Government Accounting 2000" and National Audit Office (NAO) and used for Resource Accounting and Budging (RAB) purpose during 2005-06. 2. Figures are in thousands and rounded to the nearest thousand. 3. Claims against new member states would be included in future years. 4. We have a waiver arrangements with a number of member states which means they have agreed to bear the costs of each other insured persons.

PCT Staff

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in each primary care trust in England were  (a) made redundant and  (b) given early retirement in the three months ending (i) 30 September 2006 and (ii) 31 December 2006.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 January 2007
	Information on redundancies in the three months to September 2006 was not collected centrally.
	Information on the number of staff made redundant in each primary care trust (PCT) in the six months up to 30 September 2006 was placed in the Library on 8 November 2006.
	The number of redundancies in each primary care trust in the nine months up to 31 December 2006 has been placed in the Library. In total 77 per cent. of redundancies in PCTs were non-clinical staff.
	The Department does not collect centrally the number of staff are who are given early retirement.

Prescriptions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) paid-for and  (b) free prescriptions were issued in each primary care trust in (i) Essex, (ii) Herefordshire, (iii) Inner London and (iv) Greater London in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the impact of the human papillomavirus vaccination on the incidence of genital warts.

Caroline Flint: Clinical trials carried out in the United States, South America and other countries in Europe on the efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV) quadrivalent vaccine in the protection against genital warts has been published. In addition, studies are being carried out to determine the incidence of genital warts and the potential impact of HPV vaccination in the United Kingdom.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department is scheduled to meet the Department of Education and Skills to discuss implementing a school-based human papilloma virus immunisation programme.

Caroline Flint: The Department is seeking advice on the new human papilloma virus vaccine from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which is an independent expert advisory committee. Ministers will consider advice from JCVI when it is forthcoming, and will consider issues regarding implementation.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations with patient groups have been undertaken to discuss the implementation of a national human papilloma virus immunisation programme.

Caroline Flint: Qualitative research has been conducted by the Department and other health behaviour research groups to explore the response of parents to the introduction of human papilloma virus vaccine for young girls and boys and adolescents. This work has been published (Noakes et al, "Human Vaccines" 2006).

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the agenda for the JCVI human papilloma virus sub-group meeting on 28 February.

Caroline Flint: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings have been held with the makers of human papilloma virus vaccines to discuss availability.

Caroline Flint: Officials have not had meetings with manufacturers to discuss vaccine availability.

Smoking: Public Places

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what extra funding is being provided to local authorities to support  (a) the introduction of the smoking ban to be implemented in July and  (b) on-going costs related to it under the New Burdens principle.

Caroline Flint: Full details of the funding for local authorities for delivery of smoke-free legislation in 2006-07 and 2007-08 were set out in Local Authority Circular 2006(17), published by the Department on 21 December 2006. A copy has been placed in the Library and is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/LettersAnd Circulars/LocalAuthorityCirculars/AllLocalAuthority Circulars/LocalAuthorityCircularsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT _ID=4141151&chk=R0c5pt
	Following the introduction of smoke-free legislation, the Department will assess on-going cost requirements to inform funding for local authorities in future years.

Sunbeds

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will  (a) issue guidance on the maximum strength of tanning beds available for hire or sale and  (b) propose legislation prohibiting the use of tanning beds by under 16s.

Caroline Flint: At a recent meeting between the European Commission and representatives of member states enforcement authorities (commonly known as the LVD ADCO) for electrical equipment safety it was agreed to accept a report from the scientific committee on consumer products which among other recommendations suggested the limit value for the maximum effective radiance for tanning appliances should be 0.3 Watts/m(2).
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides guidelines for customers and operators of tanning beds, which recommends that tanning beds should not be used by young people under 16 years. The Department and the HSE are in discussion about whether this guidance needs to be strengthened.

Tomography

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many PET-CT scanners there are in the UK; and where are they sited;
	(2)  how many PET-CT scanners are in clinical use and routinely available to NHS patients; and how many are used for research purposes only;
	(3)  how many PET-CT scanners are provided by the NHS; how many by private providers of services to the NHS; and where such scanners are sited in each category;
	(4)  what provision has been made for the expansion of PET-CT scanning services in England.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not routinely collect this data.
	However, in October 2005 the Department published "A Framework for the Development of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Services in England" on its website. Annex C (pages 24-27) of this publication identified the various types of PET-CT provision available in England in August 2005 and the location of those scanners. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.
	Since this publication, an additional £10 million capital funding has been made available to the national health service for the next two years (2006-08) to support the development of the NHS PET-CT facilities.
	A further 25,000 scans will be made available from the independent sector via the phase 2 diagnostics procurement on the independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme, It is anticipated that on completion of this programme the contracts will provide additional mobile PET-CT scanning facilities over 24 sites initially with two of these becoming static sites.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adoption

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on funding for local authorities for adoption support, with particular reference to the training and recruitment of specialist staff.

Parmjit Dhanda: The provision of adoption support is one of the key elements of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. The Act placed new duties on local authorities to make available in their area a range of adoption support services to meet the needs of people affected by adoption, including training for adoptive parents, and to appoint an Adoption Support Services Adviser. These duties have been underpinned by a ring-fenced grant to local authorities, of almost £70 million between 2003-04 and 2005-06, which from 2006-07 has been mainstreamed in the local authority Children's Services Grant. The Adoption and Special Guardianship element of this grant, in 2006-07, is £32 million.

Adoption

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he  (a) has commissioned and  (b) plans to commission on the long-term effects of open contact arrangements for adopted children.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department has commissioned, as part of its Adoption Research Initiative, a study of the management and support of contact arrangements, following placements for adoption, with a particular focus on more complex situations, such as where there are concerns about child protection, domestic violence or a breakdown in the relationship between a child's birth and adoptive families.
	This study is being conducted in two phases. The first phase will map the services supporting birth relatives and services supporting contact provided by local authorities, including those provided in conjunction with voluntary adoption agencies and adoption support agencies. An executive summary is due to be published on the research section of the Department's website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/ on 29 March 2007, and we will ensure that hard copies are placed in the House Library. The second phase, which will evaluate the impact and outcomes of these support services, and examine their costs, is due to be completed in June 2008.

Bishops Park College

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the levels of achievement were at Bishops Park College at  (a) Key Stage 3 and  (b) GCSE in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Table 1 shows pupils(1) achieving level 5 or above in English, Mathematics and Science at Bishops Park College for 2005(2).
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Bishops Park College 
			 Number of eligible pupils for KS3 assessment 121 
			 Percentage of pupils(1) achieving level 5 or above in English 29 
			 Percentage of pupils(1) achieving level 5 or above in Mathematics 45 
			 Percentage of pupils(1) achieving level 5 or above in Science 45 
			 KS2-KS3 value added measure 97.1 
		
	
	Table 2 shows pupils(3) achieving 5 or more grade A*-C including Maths and English GCSEs at Bishops Park College for 2006.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Bishops Park College 
			 Number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2006 3 
			 Percentage of pupils(3) who achieved 5 or more grade A*- C including Maths and English GCSEs 0 
			 Percentage of pupils(3) who achieved 5 or more grade A*- C 0 
			 KS2-4 contextual value added measure 1,007.9 
			 (1) Eligible Key Stage 3 pupils. (2) Figures for 2006 will be published in the Key Stage 3 achievement and attainment tables on 1 March 2007. (3) Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.

Children: Poverty

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the analysis published as Report Card 7 on child poverty in perspective by the Unicef Innocenti Research Centre on 14 February in respect of the impact of poverty on educational attainment.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Unicef Innocenti Report Card 7 raises some serious issues for the UK. However, it often uses data that is up to seven years old and points to the result of decades of underinvestment in children's well-being. The report provides cross-sectional data—rather than showing trends—so it does not register the very significant progress this Government have made. In 1997 this Government inherited the highest child poverty rate in Europe. Since then, we have reduced relative child poverty faster than anywhere in Europe and more than halved the absolute child poverty gap.
	There is a strong correlation between income poverty, material deprivation and low educational attainment. That is why we want all children to develop to their full potential. Good quality early education benefits disadvantaged children in particular, and its positive effects on cognitive development last until at least age 10. We introduced free early education for all 3 and 4-year-olds, and will extend it further in terms of hours offered per week. Sure Start Children's Centres will offer children under 5 and their families (initially in the most disadvantaged areas) access to early learning and play alongside other health and parental support. We have also introduced, through the Childcare Act 2006, a new duty on local authorities to improve the outcomes of all under 5s, and close the gaps between those with the poorest outcomes and the rest.
	We have made good progress in tackling the additional challenges that schools serving deprived communities often face. Primary schools that draw more than half their pupils from the poorest families have improved by more than double the rate of those where fewer than 1 in 10 pupils are from poor backgrounds. Secondary schools with more than half of pupils from poor backgrounds have improved nearly three times as much as those serving more affluent areas. There has also been a large reduction in the number of failing schools which, historically, have tended to be concentrated in deprived areas. The number of schools in special measures has nearly halved between 1997/98 and 2006.
	To help pupils who are still not making the kind of progress we expect and who are not getting the best from their education we are launching a progression pilot which will run for two years in up to 10 local authorities to test new ways to measure, assess, report and stimulate progress for children in Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3.
	Our Academies programme in England is transforming education in disadvantaged areas and offering educational opportunities to children where other intervention and improvement strategies have failed. The improvement in the percentage of pupils getting five good GCSEs including English and Maths in Academies has improved by 6.2 percentage points—six times better than the national improvement rate of one percentage point. Academies' results compare strikingly well with the poor results of their predecessor schools, with a 9.7 percentage point increase in five A*-C grades where English and Maths are included, and a 20.2 percentage point improvement overall.
	As well as providing opportunities for social and cultural enrichment to disadvantaged pupils through extended schools, through the Education and Inspections Act 2006 we have introduced measures to give disadvantaged pupils fair access to good schools. And through our major Every Child Matters reforms to children's services, schools are increasingly forging strong links with other children's services. Schools are well placed to spot problems that may be affecting a child's development at an early stage and to engage other agencies as appropriate. Greater use of multi-disciplinary teams, lead professionals and information sharing is helping to identify problems as they arise, provide swift, tailored interventions and remove barriers to school achievement.

Curriculum: Expenditure

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much and what proportion of the £3 billion allocated to the foundation stage curriculum has been  (a) allocated and  (b) spent on (i) Sure Start, (ii) children's centres and (iii) nursery provision.

Parmjit Dhanda: Government invest some £3 billion each year in the delivery of the free entitlement to nursery education for three and four-year-olds. Funding is provided for local authorities through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and is intended to cover provision delivered in accordance with the core foundation stage curriculum and the National Day Care Standards by providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors.
	At the Education and Skills oral question session on 8 February I mentioned that an additional £3 billion each year is allocated to local authorities for children's centres and other aspects of Sure Start, early years and child care delivery. I should clarify that funding of £3 billion for the period 2006 to 2008 has been allocated to local authorities through the General Sure Start Grant (GSSG) and includes funding for Sure Start children's centres, extended schools, inclusion, workforce development, child care affordability and sustainability initiatives, and the implementation of the new duties in the Childcare Act. Local Authorities have the freedom to decide how much is spent on each of these areas within the main revenue and main capital elements of GSSG. An analysis of spend in each area will not be available until later in the year.

Health Education: Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what data was used as evidence to support the commissioning of the Blueprint research programme.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The Blueprint research programme was designed taking account of the worldwide evidence base for effective drug education interventions and applying the identified principles of effectiveness to the English school and strategic setting. Programme development has been best summarised in the article published by the original Blueprint Research Manager, Paul Baker. I will ensure a copy of the article is placed in the House Library.

Health Education: Drugs

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department has spent on the Blueprint research programme since its inception.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Office has project managed the Blueprint research programme and has provided around £6 million in funding from 2002 to 2007.

Languages

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 705W, on language courses, how many schools published in the secondary school achievement and attainment tables are  (a) special schools and  (b) independent schools.

Jim Knight: The information can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of schools published in 2006 secondary (key stage 4) achievement and attainment tables, by institution type 
			  Institution type  Number of schools 
			 Academies 45 
			 City technology colleges 11 
			 Community schools 1,921 
			 Community special schools 752 
			 Foundation schools 526 
			 Foundation special schools 13 
			 Independent schools 1,009 
			 Independent special schools 82 
			 Non-maintained special schools 66 
			 Voluntary aided schools 523 
			 Voluntary controlled schools 91 
			 Total 5,039 
		
	
	Of the 5,039 schools published in the 2006 secondary (key stage 4) achievement and attainment tables on 11 January 2007
	 (a) 913 were special schools (including community special schools, foundation special schools, independent special schools and non-maintained special schools) and
	 (b) 1,091 were independent schools (including independent mainstream and independent special schools i.e. independent special schools have been included in both groups).

League Tables

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of  (a) pupils,  (b) girls and  (c) boys attending schools deemed (i) inadequate, (ii) satisfactory, (iii) good and (iv) outstanding achieved five (A) A*-C grades and (B) A* or A grades in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information required to answer the question is unavailable.
	HM inspectors have made judgments about the overall effectiveness of schools only since January 2000. Prior to September 2005 schools were inspected on a six-year cycle and since September 2005 schools have been inspected on a three-year cycle. The framework used to categorise schools changed in September 2005, and judgments across the new framework are not comparable to judgments across the old framework. Most schools have not yet been judged on the new framework.

Music: Secondary Education

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff were responsible for musical instrument teaching in secondary schools in each local education authority in London in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	In 2002 an estimated 6,300 full time teachers were teaching music as a subject in maintained secondary schools in England. This was an increase on the estimated 5,600 teaching the subject in 1996. The source of this information is the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Surveys for 2002 and 1996.

Primary Education: Class Sizes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils of primary school age in England are in classes in maintained schools of  (a) fewer than 20,  (b) 20 to 24,  (c) 25 to 28,  (d) 29 to 30,  (e) 31 to 35,  (f) 36 to 40 and  (g) greater than 40; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools( 1) : Classes taught by one teacher( 2) —as at January 2006—England 
			   Classes taught by one teacher 
			   Key Stage 1 classes( 3)  Key Stage 2 classes  Classes in maintained primary schools 
			  Classes of size:  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils  Number of pupils  Percentage of pupils 
			 Less than 20 pupils 88,350 6.3 59,880 3.0 199,290 5.3 
			 20 to 24 pupils 278,030 19.9 264,390 13.4 632,960 16.8 
			 25 to 28 pupils 453,150 32.5 578,600 29.4 1,163,740 30.8 
			 29 to 30 pupils 546,560 39.2 588,050 29.9 1,204,590 31.9 
			 31 to 35 pupils 26,930 1.9 450,570 22.9 522,270 13.8 
			 36 to 40 pupils 790 0.1 26,210 1.3 42,410 1.1 
			 Greater than 40 pupils 360 0.0 710 0.0 8,680 0.2 
			 Total 1,394,160 100.0 1,968,400 100.0 3,773,930 100.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Classes as taught during a single selected period on the day of the census in January. (3) Includes reception classes.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	Some 10.6 per cent. of pupils in large classes in maintained primary schools were engaged in activities such as PE or games or music, singing and drama.
	Decisions about class sizes post Key Stage 1 are a matter for schools, and there are a number of factors that will influence this. Schools are best placed to know what works well for them and is in pupils' best interests. Instances of large classes may well be because schools are being more imaginative about how they organise lessons, making the best use of all school staff. In some subjects having a larger class with an experienced teacher supported by one or more trained teaching assistants can offer real advantages to pupils, enhancing rather than hindering their learning.

Pupils

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the mobility index is for each  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school in (i) Catterick, (ii) Colchester and (iii) Aldershot;
	(2)  how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools have mobility indexes (i) between 0 to 5 per cent., (ii) between 6 to 10 per cent., (iii) between 11 to 15 per cent. and (iv) above 15 per cent.

Jim Knight: The Department for Education and Skills does not hold the information for school mobility indexes as described in the questions.

Religion: Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many times since taking up his post he has met  (a) representatives of religious organisations with an interest in education and  (b) representatives of humanist organisations with an interest in education.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table shows the religious organisations my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met since taking up his current post.
	
		
			  Date  Group 
			 8 June 2006 Church of England, Catholic Education Service 
			 23 October 2006 Representatives of Faith School providers: Diocesan Board of Education (Church of England), Catholic Education Service, Movement for Reform Judaism, Network of Sikh Organisations, Muslim Council of Britain, Association of Muslim Schools 
			 25 October 2006 Board of Deputies of British Jews, Catholic Education Service 
			 7 November 2006 United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth 
			 14 December 2006 Faith organisations: Catholic Education Service; Church of England; Greek Orthodox Church; Network of Sikh Organisations; Muslim Council of Great Britain; Association of Muslim Schools; Free Church; Hindu Council UK; I-Foundation; Board of Deputies of British Jews; Union of Orthodox Hebrew Organisations; Agency for Jewish Education; Movement for Reform Judaism; JCOS Reform School; Seventh Day Adventist Church; Methodist Church. 
		
	
	My right hon. Friend has not met with any representatives of humanist organisations.

School Meals: Concessions

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average percentage of school-age children entitled to free school meals was in  (a) Barnet,  (b) London and  (c) England in (i) grammar schools, (ii) local authority maintained schools, (iii) denominational schools and (iv) other schools, including special schools in the last period for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The requested information is provided in the table.
	
		
			  All schools: School meal arrangements ( 1,2 ) : as at January 2006 
			   Pupils aged 5 to 15 ( 3) 
			   Barnet local authority area  London Government office region( 4)  England( 4) 
			   Number of pupils  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Number of pupils  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Number of pupils  Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 Maintained schools(5) 36,530 7,009 19.2 864,310 232,200 26.9 6,400,300 1,033,060 16.1 
			  Of which:  
			 Maintained Nursery 0 0 — 0 0 — 20 10 66.7 
			 Maintained Primary 20,427 4,281 21.0 485,630 134,400 27.7 3,350,330 571,320 17.1 
			 Maintained Secondary 15,757 2,599 16.5 364,460 91,900 25.2 2,954,220 430,240 14.6 
			 Maintained Special(5) 279 103 36.9 9,790 4,240 43.3 72,690 25,400 34.9 
			 Pupil Referral Units 67 26 38.8 4,430 1,660 37.5 23,050 6,090 26.4 
			 Other schools 969 428 44.2 13,530 4,670 34.5 35,010 9,290 26.5 
			  Of which:  
			 City Technology colleges (6)— (6)— (6)— 2,850 610 21.2 9440 1,230 13.1 
			 Academies 969 428 44.2 10,500 4,040 38.5 22,050 7,590 34.4 
			 Non-Maintained Special (6)— (6)— (6)— 170 20 13.7 3,530 470 13.4 
			 Maintained Primary and Secondary schools 36,184 6,880 19.0 850,090 226,300 26.6 6,304,540 1,001,560 15.9 
			  Of which:  
			 Faith schools 11,492 1,188 10.3 189,470 34,730 18.3 1,451,180 178,500 12.3 
			 Other schools 24,692 5,692 23.1 660,620 191,570 29.0 4,853,360 823,060 17.0 
			 Maintained Secondary schools 15,757 2,599 16.5 364,460 91,900 25.2 2,954,220 430,240 14.6 
			  Of which:  
			 Grammar schools 1,845 39 2.1 14,210 300 2.1 112,200 2,460 2.2 
			 Other schools 13,912 2,560 18.4 350,250 91,600 26.2 2,842,010 427,780 15.1 
			 (1) Includes all schools except independent schools and direct grant nursery schools. Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) includes pupils with sole and dual (main) registration. Also includes pupils with other providers in Pupil Referral Units. (3) Includes pupils aged 5 to 15 as at 31 August 2005. (4) Numbers at regional and national level have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown. (5) Excludes general hospital schools. (6) Not applicable, no schools of this type  Source:  Schools Census

Schools: Facilities

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance as part of the Building Schools for the Future programme his Department offers local authorities on  (a) community use of school facilities and  (b) planning for community sporting need.

Jim Knight: The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) "Strategy for Change" document (July 2006) contains guidance for local authorities in BSF on a number of policy areas, including extended schools and community provision, and strategically developing their sport provision. In addition, Partnerships for Schools, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust have jointly funded Sports Facilities Advisers to work closely with local authorities to ensure the strategic development of sport within the programme.
	There is also a wide range of guidance available to all local authorities. For  (a), the community use of school facilities, key documents include the prospectus "Extended Schools: Opportunity and Access to All", and "Planning and Funding Extended Schools" as well as the design guide "Designing Schools for Extended Services". For  (b), planning for community sporting need, they include "Guidance on High Quality PE and Sport for Young People" and the design guide "Inspirational Design for PE and Sport Spaces". These documents are available to view or order at:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk

Schools: Facilities

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what account is taken of potential community use in consideration of funding for under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Jim Knight: Access to school facilities by the wider local community outside the school day should be possible in any school. The areas of school accommodation covered by Building Schools for the Future funding are set out in Building Bulletin 98. This includes allowance for facilities to encourage schools' extended and community use. It takes account of the need for security, dual-use facilities (which can be used for both educational and non-educational purposes, such as visiting health professionals at certain times), and community use without disruption to pupils' work, and includes facilities such as:
	alternative 'reception' facilities and access for out-of-hours use;
	sports hall, activity studio and changing facilities suitable for public use;
	accessible toilets and lockers for use by adult visitors;
	a community office and storage spaces separate from those used by the school.
	 Note:
	However, BSF will not fund accommodation for dedicated non-educational services other than residential accommodation for SEN schools. Provision of these would require the joining up of other funding streams with BSF funding, such as funding from SureStart, Primary Care Trusts, DCMS, or ODPM. Further guidance on joining-up funding streams has been issued for BSF authorities.

Schools: Muslims

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the Chief Adviser for London Schools was representing his Department when he launched the document 'Towards Greater Understanding: Meeting the needs of Muslim pupils in state schools'; and whether he sought his permission before doing so.

Jim Knight: Professor Tim Brighouse was invited to speak at the launch of the document in a personal capacity. He did not seek permission to accept the invitation.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority made of who is likely to be affected by the proposed secondary programmes of study.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority assessment is that all pupils aged 11 to 16 and all teachers in maintained schools in England will be affected by the proposed secondary programmes of study.

Social Services: Vacancies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate how many vacancies there are for social workers; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The number of vacancies in local authority departments for field social workers with children was 3,267 and for other field social workers 2,534, in 2005.
	Social workers are also employed by CAFCASS and other organisations in the private and voluntary sector, but vacancy figures are not collected centrally.
	A review of workforce issues—including recruitment and retention—entitled 'Options for Excellence' was published in October 2006 jointly by DfES and Department of Health.

Social Workers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many social workers were trained in the UK in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The numbers of people completing the diploma in social work in England in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1995-96 3,861 
			 1996-97 3,671 
			 1997-98 3,630 
			 1989-99 3,189 
			 1999-2000 3,251 
			 2000-01 3,233 
			 2001-02 3,427 
			 2002-03 3,426 
			 2003-04 3,547 
			 2004-05 4,050 
			 2005-06 3,448 
			  Note: 1. The reporting period is the financial year, students completing the social work degree in summer 2006 are not included. 2. England only.  Source: General Social Care Council 
		
	
	In 2005-06 there were also an additional 58 early finishers of the new social work degree.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Avian Influenza

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many avian influenza vaccine doses were available in Northern Ireland on 26 February.

Paul Goggins: There were 66,400 doses of avian influenza (H5N1) vaccine available in Northern Ireland on 26 February 2007.

Avian Influenza

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tests for avian influenza were carried out in Northern Ireland in each of the last 12 months.

David Cairns: The following table details the number of samples taken from poultry and wild birds which were tested for avian influenza in Northern Ireland over the 12 month period 1 March 2006 to 28 February 2007.
	
		
			   Total 
			 March 2006 22 
			 April 2006 168 
			 May 2006 121 
			 June 2006 32 
			 July 2006 54 
			 August 2006 48 
			 September 2006 123 
			 October 2006 293 
			 November 2006 852 
			 December 2006 278 
			 January 2007 93 
			 February 2007 57 
			 Total 2,141 
		
	
	All test results were negative for highly pathogenic avian influenza.
	One test for the H5NI strain of avian influenza in humans was carried out in December 2006. The result of this test was negative.

Cars: Safety

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to publicise the new car seat regulations for children in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: On 16 January 2007, I announced that these regulations would commence on 27 February. Since then over 560,000 information leaflets have been delivered to homes across Northern Ireland. A further 30,000 leaflets have been provided for child restraint retailers and other interested organisations and made available to callers on request.
	The leaflets and additional information are available on the Department of the Environment's road safety website and from the home pages of some popular Northern Ireland websites which also carried advertising about the new legislation.
	Advertisements were placed in Northern Ireland's main newspapers and a further press release issued on 20 February to remind everyone of the legislation coming in the following week. My Department also wrote to key stakeholders, including councils, transport operators, education and health boards.
	In the run-up to 27 February, officials participated in five local television and 11 radio programmes, providing information and advice and answering questions.

Clifton Special School

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was made available by his Department to the Clifton Special School in each of the past five years; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current funding allocated to the school.

Maria Eagle: The Department of Education (DE) does not fund Clifton Special School directly. The level of funding for Clifton Special School is determined by the South-Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) as part of its annual decisions about the allocation of its block grant.
	The Chief Executive of the SEELB has advised me that the recurrent budget for Clifton Special School in the last five years is as set out in the following table.
	The budgets include non-delegated, Article 56 (delegated), earmarked and carry-forward allocations, but exclude capital and initial furniture and equipment allocations associated with the new school when it opened in April 2005.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002-03 1,077,966 
			 2003-04 1,232,285 
			 2004-05 1,315,916 
			 2005-06 1,447,936 
			 2006-07 1,500,585 
		
	
	The Chief Executive has also advised that SEELB monitors the ongoing costs of the school throughout the year. When recurrent budget allocations are received from DE, an assessment is made of the amount that will be required centrally to fund staffing costs in each of the special schools, taking account of pupil numbers and needs, and how much should be delegated to schools under Article 56 of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 to meet costs other than staffing. Each special school also receives its share of any appropriate earmarked funds. Based on this process, the Board is satisfied that Clifton School is adequately resourced.

Departments: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many complaints were received by the Department and executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 to date;
	(2)  how many independent bodies existed to hear appeals on decisions made by his Department and executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 to date;
	(3)  how many staff worked in dedicated complaints units in the Department and executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 to date.

Peter Hain: The number of complaints received by my Department and its executive agencies is not recorded in a comparable basis. However, from records that are readily available, I can provide the following information:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997-98 9 
			 2001-02 24 
			 2005-06 90 
			 2006-07(1) 158 
			 (1) To date. 
		
	
	The number of independent bodies which existed to hear appeals on decisions made by my Department and its agencies is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997-98 2 
			 2001-02 2 
			 2005-06 4 
			 2006-07(1) 5 
			 (1) To date. 
		
	
	In my Department and its agencies no member of staff works in a dedicated unit dealing solely with complaints. This would be done in addition to other duties. The only records my Department and its agencies hold in relation to the number of staff who work in a dedicated complaints unit is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997-98 1 
			 2001-02 1 
			 2005-06 1 
			 2006-07(1) 1 
			 (1) To date.

Dept of Health and Social Services (NI): Pay

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanism is available to staff in the Department of Health and Social Services to assess whether their pay band is fair under the Agenda for Change system.

Paul Goggins: The Agenda for Change pay system applies to Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) staff; it does not apply to civil servants in the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. These HPSS staff have the opportunity to comment on their current job descriptions before their jobs are matched to Agenda for Change job profiles and a designated pay band. The Agenda for Change pay bands are only put into payment after a thorough consistency checking process has been carried out. Staff who are not content with their pay band after this process is complete can ask for a review.

Family Practitioner Services: Sion Mills

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take action to ensure that the medical practice in Sion Mills is immediately reopened.

Paul Goggins: The decision regarding the location of any GP surgery or medical centre is a matter for the local Health and Social Services Board and the GP, who as an independent contractor can negotiate with the board as to where they would have their premises to best serve the local community. The practice has applied to the board to close the branch surgery in Sion Mills, and have not opened the surgery for several months following a physical attack on a GP in the surgery.
	The board will be considering the application at its meeting on 29 March 2007.

Garages and Petrol Stations: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the purpose of licensing retail petrol stations is; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The intrinsic hazards of petrol, and the fact that the public are often present, or nearby, when it is being dispensed, were the primary reasons for the introduction of petroleum licensing by the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929.

Garages and Petrol Stations: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the proposed timescale is for the introduction of licensing for retail petrol stations in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: Petroleum licensing was introduced in Northern Ireland by the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929. Each district council acts as the petroleum licensing authority for its area. A consultation exercise on proposals to transfer responsibility for petroleum licensing from district councils to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland has recently ended. Responses to this consultation are currently being analysed.

Garages and Petrol Stations: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has held with relevant trade associations about the introduction of licensing for retail petrol stations.

Maria Eagle: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with relevant trade associations about petroleum licensing. However, interested parties, including relevant trade associations, have recently been consulted on proposals to transfer responsibility for petroleum licensing—introduced in Northern Ireland by the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929—from district councils to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland. Responses to this consultation are currently being analysed.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) made to police establishments in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and which establishments HMIC visited over that period.

Paul Goggins: Information relating to the PSNI Inspection and Review Team prior to October 2004 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since October 2004 there have been 54 formal visits by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) staff to Northern Ireland, of which 38 involved HMIC staff and PSNI. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary was not involved in any of these visits.
	Establishments visited include:
	PSNI HQ, Garnerville, Seapark, North Queen Street, Knocknagoney, Newry (Ardmore), Castlereagh, Maydown, River House, Garnerville, Enniskillen, Lisnasharragh, Ballymena, Castlereagh, Mahon Road, Magherafelt, Dundonald, Ladas Drive, Antrim Road, Lisburn, Dungannon, Strandtown, Antrim Road, Hillsborough, Banbridge, Ballymoney, Downpatrick, Musgrave Street, Strand Road, Craigavon, Ards, North Belfast, South Belfast, and West Belfast.

Hip Replacements

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in Northern Ireland referred for hip replacement surgery had their operation outside Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not held centrally and will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Gentleman with the relevant information as soon as it becomes available and place a copy in the Library.

Hip Replacements

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients referred for hip replacement surgery failed to attend for their operation in  (a) Musgrave Park hospital,  (b) the Ulster Hospital,  (c) Royal Victoria hospital,  (d) Lagan Valley hospital,  (e) Belfast City hospital and  (f) the Mater hospital in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Over the last five years, Musgrave Park hospital and Altnagelvin Area hospital have been the only hospitals in Northern Ireland that routinely admit elective patients for hip replacement surgery.
	The following table shows the number of patients who have cancelled their operation and those who did not attend for their operation at Musgrave Park hospital.
	
		
			   Cancelled  Did not attend  Total 
			 2001-02 64 2 66 
			 2002-03 58 1 59 
			 2003-04 53 2 55 
			 2004-05 83 1 84 
			 2005-06 86 3 89 
			  Source: Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust

Hip Replacements

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hip replacement operations were carried out on patients aged between  (a) 40 and 50 years,  (b) 51 and 60 years,  (c) 61 and 70 years and  (d) 71 and 80 years in (i) Musgrave Park Hospital, (ii) the Ulster Hospital, (iii) Royal Victoria Hospital, (iv) Lagan Valley Hospital, (v) Belfast City Hospital and (vi) the Mater Hospital in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the approximate number of individuals(1), in each of the defined age groups, who received a hip replacement operation in selected hospitals in Northern Ireland, during each year between 2001-02 and 2005-06 (the latest year for which data are available). No such operations were recorded in the Belfast City or Mater hospitals during these years.
	For the hospitals specified, Musgrave Park hospital is the only hospital that routinely admits elective patients for hip replacement surgery. For the other hospitals listed, some emergency hip replacement operations were undertaken at the Ulster, Royal Victoria and the Lagan Valley hospitals for the age groups in question.
	(1) Individuals have been approximated using date of birth, postcode and sex.
	
		
			Hospital 
			   Age group  Musgrave Park  Ulster  Royal Victoria  Lagan Valley 
			 2005-06 40-49 45 1 5 0 
			  50-59 182 7 19 0 
			  60-69 420 14 51 0 
			  70-79 424 62 158 0 
			   
			 2004-05 40-49 65 1 3 0 
			  50-59 181 1 11 0 
			  60-69 386 13 38 0 
			  70-79 453 53 168 0 
			   
			 2003-04 40-49 52 0 2 0 
			  50-59 134 4 14 0 
			  60-69 331 12 60 0 
			  70-79 347 74 189 0 
			   
			 2002-03 40-49 35 1 3 0 
			  50-59 134 4 10 0 
			  60-69 361 17 35 1 
			  70-79 354 53 169 0 
			   
			 2001-02 40-49 37 0 2 0 
			  50-59 122 5 9 0 
			  60-69 330 16 44 0 
			  70-79 347 71 169 0 
			  Source: Hospital In-patient System.

Hip Replacements

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how patients waited up to  (a) six months,  (b) 12 months,  (c) 18 months and  (d) 36 months or more for (i) an assessment for hip replacement surgery and (ii) the surgery itself in (A) Musgrave Park hospital, (B) the Ulster hospital, (C) Royal Victoria hospital, (D) Lagan Valley hospital, (E) Belfast City hospital and (F) the Mater hospital in each of the last five years; and how many such operations were carried out in each hospital in each year.

Paul Goggins: Over the last five years, Musgrave Park hospital and Altnagelvin Area hospital have been the only hospitals in Northern Ireland that routinely admit elective patients for hip replacement surgery.
	The following table shows the number of patients who have waited for an outpatient assessment for hip replacement surgery by time-band at Musgrave Park hospital.
	
		
			   Patients who waited 
			   More than six months  More than 12 months  More than 18 months  More than 36 months 
			 2001-02 400 164 72 0 
			 2002-03 429 140 77 7 
			 2003-04 294 73 41 9 
			 2004-05 583 231 144 60 
			 2005-06 1,683 453 212 28 
			  Source:  Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of patients who have waited for hip replacement surgery by time-band at Musgrave Park hospital.
	
		
			   Patients who waited 
			   More than six months  More than 12 months  More than 18 months  More than 36 months 
			 2001-02 1,336 521 175 4 
			 2002-03 1,582 682 212 29 
			 2003-04 1,712 1,006 415 9 
			 2004-05 2,094 935 189 12 
			 2005-06 1,742 502 142 13 
			  Source:  Green Park Healthcare HSS Trus t 
		
	
	The following table shows the number of hip replacement procedures that where carried out at Musgrave Park hospital.
	
		
			   Number of procedures carried out 
			 2001-02 1,035 
			 2002-03 1,101 
			 2003-04 1,047 
			 2004-05 1,300 
			 2005-06 1,260 
			  Source:  Hospital inpatient system 
		
	
	I have set targets to ensure that no patient waits longer than 26 weeks for a first outpatient appointment by 31 March 2007, reducing to 13 weeks by March 2008, and no longer than six months for surgery by 31 March 2007, reducing to 21 weeks by March 2008.

Hip Replacements

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time for a patient requiring a hip replacement following a GP referral for (a) assessment and (b) hip replacement surgery in Northern Ireland was in the last period for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: Currently, Musgrave Park hospital and Altnagelvin Area hospital are the only hospitals in Northern Ireland that routinely admit elective patients for hip replacement surgery.
	 (a) The average waiting time at Musgrave Park hospital, for a patient requiring a hip replacement following a GP referral for assessment, at the 31 December 2006 was 160 days.
	At Altnagelvin Area hospital outpatient assessments are recorded by specialty rather than condition. In the case of hip replacements, Altnagelvin Area hospital record these assessments under the trauma and orthopaedics specialty. This specialty will include a number of orthopaedic conditions affecting, for example, shoulders, knees, ankles etc. It is therefore not possible to calculate the average waiting time specifically for a hip replacement assessment at Altnagelvin Area hospital. Altnagelvin Area hospital is able to say that 91 per cent. of patients waiting under the trauma and orthopaedic specialty were waiting eight months or less at 31 December 2006.
	 (b) The average waiting time at Musgrave Park hospital, for a patient requiring a hip replacement surgery following a referral, at 31 December 2006 was 94 days.
	The average waiting time at Altnagelvin Area hospital, for a patient requiring a hip replacement surgery following a referral, at the 31 December 2006 was approximately seven months.
	I have set targets to ensure that no patient waits longer than 26 weeks for a first outpatient appointment by 31 March 2007, reducing to 13 weeks by March 2008, and no longer than six months for surgery by 31 March 2007, reducing to 21 weeks by March 2008.

Hip Replacements

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hip replacement operations were carried out on patients of 80 years and above in the  (a) Musgrave Park Hospital,  (b) Ulster Hospital,  (c) Royal Victoria Hospital,  (e) Lagan Valley Hospital,  (f) Belfast City Hospital and  (g) Mater Hospital in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the approximate number of individuals(1), aged 80 years and above, who received a hip replacement operation in selected hospitals in Northern Ireland, during each year between 2001-02 and 2005-06 (the latest year for which data are available). No such operations were recorded in the Lagan Valley, Belfast City or Mater hospitals during these years.
	For the hospitals specified, Musgrave Park hospital is the only hospital that routinely admits elective patients for hip replacement surgery. For the other hospitals listed, some emergency hip replacement operations were undertaken at the Ulster and Royal Victoria hospitals for the age group in question.
	(1) Individuals have been approximated using date of birth, postcode and sex.
	
		
			   Hospital 
			   Age group  Musgrave Park  Ulster  Royal Victoria 
			 2005-06 80 and over 152 159 280 
			 2004-05 80 and over 155 130 283 
			 2003-04 80 and over 151 138 305 
			 2002-03 80 and over 167 99 277 
			 2001-02 80 and over 143 136 254 
			  Source:  Hospital In-patient System.

Hospitals: Parking

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was raised by car park charges at each hospital in Northern Ireland in each of the past three years.

Paul Goggins: Information for the 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 financial years is given in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Hospital  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Belfast City Hospital 556 623 627 
			 Mater Infirmorum Hospital 108 117 108 
			 Royal Group of Hospitals(1) 0 0 0 
			 Ulster Hospital 370 357 508 
			 Total 1,043 1,097 1,243 
			 (1) Parking at the Royal Group of Hospitals is operated by Private Finance Initiative and the income received by the operator is unknown

Missing Persons

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many missing persons were recorded in each police district command unit area in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and what training and support has been provided to police officers in Northern Ireland in dealing with such cases.

Paul Goggins: In April 2006, the Police Service of Northern Ireland introduced the National Standards for Incident Reporting (NSIR). NSIR set new standards for the recording of non-crime incidents and enables figures from the command and control system to be accurately collated for the number of incidents where a person has been reported missing to the police. Therefore figures are only available from 1 April 2006. The information prior to this would require a manual trawl of documents in each DCU and would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	The PSNI has provided the following table detailing the number of incidents of missing persons, by DCU, from April 2006 to January 2007.
	
		
			  Number of incidents by District Command Unit, 1 April 2006 to 31 January 2007 
			   Missing person: 
			  DCU  high risk  medium risk  low risk  unauthorised absence 
			 Antrim 25 51 96 2 
			 Ards 33 41 58 12 
			 East Belfast 31 73 75 14 
			 North Belfast 62 67 136 171 
			 South Belfast 34 54 100 169 
			 West Belfast 25 46 49 320 
			 Carrickfergus 7 15 30 0 
			 Castlereagh 20 41 42 4 
			 Larne 11 11 16 2 
			 Lisburn 75 66 113 11 
			 Newtownabbey 30 37 41 9 
			 North Down 63 75 55 19 
			 Armagh 23 25 55 27 
			 Banbridge 16 9 31 19 
			 Ballymena 8 15 30 21 
			 Ballymoney 1 7 12 0 
			 Coleraine 23 40 112 5 
			 Cookstown 5 5 15 2 
			 Craigavon Dungannon 20 51 107 103 
			 South Tyrone 5 5 57 64 
			 Down 20 21 46 14 
			 Fermanagh 26 38 189 205 
			 Foyle 49 57 168 120 
			 Limavady 49 7 41 99 
			 Magherafelt 3 4 5 14 
			 Moyle 1 1 7 0 
			 Newry and Mourne 45 30 65 59 
			 Omagh 18 12 44 12 
			 Strabane 12 14 19 0 
			 Northern Ireland 740 918 1,814 1,497 
			  Notes: 1. 'Missing person—high risk'= the risk is immediate and there are substantial grounds for believing that the subject is in danger through their own vulnerability or mental state or the risk posed is immediate and there are substantial grounds for believing that the public are in danger due to the subject's mental state. 2. 'Missing person—medium risk' = the risk posed is likely to place the subject in danger or they are a threat to themselves or others. 3. 'Missing person—low risk' = there is no apparent threat or danger to either the subject or the public. 4. 'Missing person—unauthorised absence' = this category is only to be used for children in care. It is designed to cover those situations where the child is absent or out beyond an agreed time.  Source: Central Statistics Unit PSNI 
		
	
	In relation to the provision of training and support for PSNI officers dealing with such cases there are currently two PSNI general orders giving instruction to police officers in responding to missing persons' investigations. One relates to the actual investigation and the other relates to the circulation of details on police computers. Condensed versions of the key points and student officer training notes have been compiled for officers and are available on the PSNI intranet site.
	Student officers at the police college receive full lessons in dealing with missing persons including initial action with emphasis on crucial time factors, completing police procedures, risk assessments and vulnerable persons. The students individually complete a practical scenario about a missing 16-year-old boy. The students also receive inputs from community organisations such as the Simon Community, St Vincent de Paul, and the Salvation Army at a community fair evening. Detectives at all ranks in the PSNI receive training on dealing with missing persons and this training is built into their initial detective training course. Missing person scenarios are also included in critical incident training for senior officers.
	Service instructions are currently being revised in light of recent guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on the recording, managing and investigation of missing persons. In addition the PSNI is examining the area of children and young persons absconding from residential care homes as separate guidance. A pilot project involving three residential care homes has recently been completed and the initial instructions are being revised in light of the outcome of the evaluation of this pilot. The PSNI is in liaison with Social Services in respect of this policy.
	The PSNI also has a 'missing persons' intranet site which provides information for the circulation of missing persons on the 'Missing Kids' website and the missing persons pages on the PSNI internet site. The 'Missing Kids' website is a partnership between police forces, the Police National Missing Persons Bureau (PNMPB), an international charity—the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC)—and a commercial sponsor—Computer Associates plc (CA). The initiative has the support of ACPO. The 'Appeals/Missing Persons' pages on the PSNI internet site provide pictures and details of those persons reported as missing to the PSNI as well as links to other support organisations.

NHS Treatment Centres

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to establish independent sector treatment centres in Northern Ireland; and what research has been undertaken by his Department in relation to the demand for such facilities in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: There are currently no plans to develop independent sector treatment centres in Northern Ireland. However, in the context of securing shorter waiting times for patients, I am committed to making appropriate use of the independent sector while at the same time developing additional hospital capacity and reforming hospital systems and processes. Considerable capacity analysis work is ongoing to identify any long term capacity shortfalls requiring investment, and also any short-term backlogs where the independent sector can assist by providing necessary additional capacity.

Night Flying

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many breaches of the night time flying curfew were recorded at each Northern Ireland airport in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what penalties have been imposed on the occasion of each breach.

David Cairns: There are no night time flying curfews at any of Northern Ireland's airports. However, at George Best Belfast City airport, a planning agreement exists to control, among other matters, air traffic movements. Under this agreement, flights are prohibited between 21.30 and 06.30, however, an extended operating period (from 21.30 to 23.59) permits delayed flights to complete their journeys. In the past 12 months there were only two emergency medical flights, in June 2006, outside the planning agreement and therefore no action was taken.

Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Trusts

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which occasions he has met the chief executives of each Northern Ireland health trust in each of the last three years.

Peter Hain: I have kept in close touch with my Health Minister who has met chief executives of the Northern Ireland health trusts since I took office as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Open Source Software

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of his Department's computer systems use open source software; what percentage of the systems planned to be installed use such software; and whether he plans to increase the use of open source software in his Department.

Paul Goggins: Less than 1 per cent. of software used in the Department is open sourced. There are currently no plans for the NIO to increase the use of open source software. However, the Department will continue to consider open source solutions on an overall value for money basis in accordance with the Government's 2004 policy statement.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Percentage of computer systems which use open source software 1 
			 Percentage of the systems planned to be installed which use such software 0

Planning Permission: Craigavon

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent estimate he has made of the time taken to process planning applications in the Craigavon planning office.

David Cairns: I am aware of the significant workload pressures in all six divisional planning offices, especially Craigavon, which have resulted in increased processing times for planning applications. This has been exacerbated by a recent and unprecedented loss of experienced planning staff. The situation is assessed on an on-going basis and various modernisation and reform measures, which continue to be implemented, are expected to help performance over the next year. In addition, an extensive programme of recruitment/promotion has just been completed to allow staff vacancies to be filled and this should also lead to an improvement in processing times.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers are serving within Northern Ireland constabularies.

Paul Goggins: I am advised that as of February 2007 the number of police officers serving within Northern Ireland constabularies is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			  PSNI  
			 Regular officers 7,557 
			 Reserve officers 753 
			 Constables part-time 828 
			 Belfast Harbour police 30 
			 Larne Harbour police 7 
			 Airport police (1)24 
			 (1 )24 officers at present, but in the process of recruiting extra staff which will bring the number up to 27 officers in total.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Iraq

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers have been involved in training Iraqi police personnel since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, broken down by grade.

Paul Goggins: Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, four Police Service of Northern Ireland officers have been involved in training Iraqi police personnel.
	All four officers were temporarily promoted from the rank of Inspector to the rank of Chief Inspector for the duration of their secondment to Iraq.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Standards

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average Police Service of Northern Ireland response time was to  (a) emergency and  (b) non-emergency calls in each district command unit in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI does not record average response times for  (a) emergency and  (b) non-emergency calls for each DCU unit and therefore the information requested is not available.
	Objective 1.2.1 within the Policing Plan for 2006-07 is to respond to 75 per cent. of emergency calls within 15 minutes. As of 27 February 2007 the number of response calls designated as emergency calls responded to within 15 minutes was 79.2 per cent.

Policing and Justice

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter of 28 December 2006 to the Policing and Justice sub-committee of the Transitional Assembly.

Peter Hain: I have today placed in the Library a copy of my letter of 28 December 2006 to the Policing and Justice sub-committee of the Transitional Assembly.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidences of unauthorised absence were recorded in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years; and what advice was provided by his Department for schools on dealing with persistent cases.

Maria Eagle: Information on unauthorised absence has only been collated since 2003-04. The figures for 2005-06 have not yet been compiled, but should be available within the next few weeks.
	
		
			  Incidences( 1)  of unauthorised absence by education and library board, 2003-04—2004-05 
			   Academic year 
			   2003-04  2004-05 
			  Board  Incidences of unauthorised absence  Incidences of unauthorised absence as a percentage of all possible attendance sessions  Incidences of unauthorised absence  Incidences of unauthorised absence as a percentage of all possible attendance sessions 
			 Belfast 290,492 2.8 266,158 2.3 
			 Western 233,333 2.5 283,982 2.8 
			 North Eastern 233,691 2.0 254,035 2.0 
			 South Eastern 207,860 2.2 198,020 2.0 
			 Southern 322,734 2.7 311,282 2.5 
			 (1) A pupil's attendance status is recorded twice over the course of the day, by monitoring during the morning and afternoon session. Thus, a pupil who is absent for a full day is recorded as having two incidences of absence. 
		
	
	Responsibility to ensure regular attendance at school rests primarily with parents. When a school has concerns about a pupil's attendance, a referral can be made to the Education Welfare Service (EWS). This service provides advice for schools in dealing with persistent non-attenders.

Roads: Accidents

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many road traffic accidents attributed to the driver using a mobile phone while driving have occurred in Northern Ireland in the last three years.

Paul Goggins: I have been informed by the PSNI that statistics are currently not collected from road traffic accidents attributed to the driver using a mobile phone while driving.
	However the PSNI is in the process of revising these arrangements with the intention of data being collected from 1 April 2007.

Schools: Crimes of Violence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advice or guidance is provided to teachers in Northern Ireland by his Department in dealing with  (a) pupil on pupil and  (b) pupil on teacher violence.

Maria Eagle: The Department has provided additional resources to the Education and Library Boards through its Discipline Strategy to support a range of initiatives aimed at improving pupil behaviour generally and supporting schools in dealing with more challenging pupils. The key features of the strategy include:
	multi-disciplinary behaviour support teams in each Education and Library Board (ELB) to work with teachers and pupils on behaviour management;
	external pupil referral units providing additional (short-stay) withdrawal places for pupils whose behaviour problems cannot be managed satisfactorily within the classroom; and
	permanent education provision other than at school for the most disruptive 14 to 16-year-olds for whom mainstream education is considered unsuitable.
	The Department issued a circular to schools in 1999 providing clarification and guidance on the use of reasonable force to restrain or control pupils. This was supplemented in 2003 by a document to help each school formulate its own policy on this matter. A further guidance document, distributed to schools during the 2003/04 school year, set out a structured framework for the development of a school policy on the use of reasonable force.
	The Department is involved in the Knife Awareness Working Group established by the Chief Constable. Work has included development of an education package, which is offered to post-primary schools by crime prevention officers and partnership activities with schools and youth groups.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of sexually transmitted disease were reported in each health trust area in Northern Ireland in each of the past 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by disease.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not held centrally and will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Lady with the relevant information as soon as it becomes available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

South Eastern Education and Library Board

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the South Eastern Education and Library Board since he appointed commissioners to run the board; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: My Department regularly monitors and reviews the position in the South Eastern Education and Library Board. The commissioners inherited a very difficult situation when they were appointed last July. I am pleased with the progress that they have made, in conjunction with board officers, in delivering progress against the targets set for 2006-07 and restoring financial stability within the organisation.

Special Educational Needs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in each education and library board area were receiving special educational needs assistance in each of the past six years; and what funding was made available by his Department for special educational needs assistance over the same period.

Maria Eagle: The number of children receiving special educational needs assistance in each education and library board (ELB) in each of the past six years is as follows:
	
		
			   BELB  NEELB  SEELB  SELB  WELB  Total 
			 2001-02(1) 4,718 3,203 4,649 3,667 4,055 20,292 
			 2002-03 9,991 8,013 9,895 9,036 9,426 46,361 
			 2003-04 10,844 8,934 10,933 9,723 10,269 50,703 
			 2004-05 10,862 9,767 11,306 10,149 11,009 53,093 
			 2005-06 11,211 9,798 11,403 10,552 11,107 54,071 
			 2006-07 12,797 10,275 11,640 11,188 11,762 57,662 
			 (1) Excludes information on SEN pupils at stages 1 to 4 of the COP in primary schools as this data was not collected in this year. 
		
	
	These figures are in respect of children at all stages (1-5) of the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs (COP) as reported in the annual school census for grant-aided schools and reported by the ELBs for children with statements of special educational needs outside the grant-aided sector.
	The following table shows how much funding has been reported by the education and library boards (ELBs) in their accrued expenditure reports to the Department of Education as having been allocated to special needs education in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years. The response provided is therefore by education and library board area and is rounded to the nearest million.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   BELB  NEELB  SEELB  SELB  WELB  Total 
			 2000-01 17 14 21 15 13 80 
			 2001-02 19 16 23 17 16 91 
			 2002-03 21 18 27 19 18 103 
			 2003-04 26 21 32 22 23 124 
			 2004-05 28 22 31 25 27 133 
			 2005-06 27 27 35 26 27 142 
		
	
	Figures for 2006-07 are not yet available so I have provided figures for the last six years available.
	Over the same six-year period additional funding of approximately £19 million has been allocated by the Department of Education to support statemented pupils in the voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated sectors.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the cost to the public purse was of carbon monoxide awareness week held in December 2006;
	(2)  what events were organised during carbon monoxide awareness week in December 2006; where each event took place; how many people attended each event; and how many scheduled events were cancelled.

Anne McGuire: The Government did not provide direct funding towards the costs of carbon monoxide (CO) awareness week, which was organised by gas safety charities. However, Lord Hunt, the then Minister responsible for health and safety, participated in the associated conference on 5 December at the House of Lords. He and the HSE's Chief Executive both made supportive press statements. The Secretary of State also gave support in his letter of 4 December to the gas industry. Over 120 people attended the 5 December event, including campaigner groups, CO victims, Members of Parliament, and HSE and other Government officials. This was followed by a balloon release in memory of victims of CO poisoning.
	A further event was organised at Runcorn Town Hall on 8 December. A press conference was followed by a balloon launch, which was supported by the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers and Halton borough council.
	No scheduled events were cancelled during the week.

Child Maintenance Payments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the  (a) private and  (b) voluntary sector on providing better access to information and guidance as proposed on page 31 of the White Paper "A new system of child maintenance";
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the level of additional support that will be necessary to provide private and voluntary organisations appropriate information and guidance as proposed on page 33 of the White Paper "A new system of child maintenance".

James Plaskitt: Following publication of the White Paper "A new system of child maintenance", Ministers and officials have been meeting key organisations with specific expertise in the area of information and guidance.
	As part of this process, we are assessing the likely level of resource required to deliver information and guidance.

Child Maintenance Payments

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his assessment is of the levels of (a) delays in payments and  (b) loss of child maintenance parents with care have experienced as a result of inaccurate maintenance assessments in each month over the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 23 February 2007
	The information requested is not available.

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the five most expensive external consultancy contracts awarded by his Department were in each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The five most expensive external consultancy contracts awarded by the DWP are shown in the following table. Information is only available from April 2004, prior to this date records are not held centrally and information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Please note that these are contracted values and include subsequent contract extensions.
	
		
			  Supplier  Description  Accumulative contract value (£) 
			  2004-05   
			 Booz Allen Hamilton Pensions Transformation Programme "Wave 1 and 2" 56,400,000 
			 IBM UK Ltd. A central role in strategic planning and business change in the finance and procurement domains including support for the implementation of the finance and procurement elements of the Resource Management system. It also covered changes being made in the areas of Debt Management and the Business Information Centre 48,631,534 
			 Capgemini UK plc Programme Systems Delivery—Transformational design and implementation including managed service provision of interim transformation managers 26,250,000 
			 PA Consulting Services Ltd. Payment Modernisation Programme 25,580,918 
			 Capgemini UK plc HR Change Programme—Design and implementation of whole programme including processing, resource management, learning and reward management 9,520,000 
			
			  2005-06   
			 Booz Allen Hamilton Pensions Transformation Programme Design Changes Phase (1) 25,000,000 
			 Booz Allen Hamilton Pensions Transformation Programme Design Changes Phase (2) 18,100,000 
			 Booz Allen Hamilton Pensions Transformation Programme Wave 1 Operational Readiness Review Gate 9,600,000 
			 Deloitte MCS Ltd. Integrated Communications and Network Services (ICONS) Transformation Plan Management 6,337,500 
			 RSM Robson Rhodes LLP Strategic partner to Risk and Assurance Directorate responsible for departmental audit and control work 5,000,000 
			
			  2006-07 to January 2007   
			 Deloitte MCS Ltd. Programme Systems Directorate strategic support relating to major IT contracts 8,230,802 
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Strategic Review of Remploy 800,000 
			 Deloitte MCS Ltd. Child Support Agency operational Improvement Programme Business Process Design and Re-engineering 789,597 
			 Capita Consulting Pensions Transformation Strategic Business Assurance support including risk assessment 743,004 
			 Capgemini UK plc Group Finance Directorate support in delivery of Planning and Performance Management Engagement Model Phase 2 446,310

Departmental Expenditure

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much programme expenditure sponsored by his Department was spent via each of the Government offices for the regions in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: No Jobcentre Plus sponsored programme expenditure is spent via the Government offices for the regions.

Departmental Telephone Services

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to encourage the successful input of minicom prefix numbers into standard forms for telephone numbers on websites run by  (a) commercial and  (b) Government organisations.

Anne McGuire: This Department has not undertaken any specific activity to encourage the successful input of minicom prefix numbers into standard forms for telephone numbers on websites.
	However, we have conducted a number of publicity campaigns aimed at helping employers and service providers to recognise their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, including their duty to make reasonable adjustments which may include the provision of minicom facilities for people with hearing impairments. For example, the 'Adjusting for Better Business' campaign was targeted at small and medium sized enterprises, business intermediaries and trade bodies and ran from December 2005 to May 2006, with further activity with supportive business intermediaries carried out between September and December 2006. These campaigns complement the activity of the Disability Rights Commission.

Departments: Publications

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library copies of his Department's evaluations of media coverage since May 2005.

Anne McGuire: The Department is committed to the publication of evaluation data and will ensure that summaries of the requested media evaluation are placed on the DWP catalogue at the time of the next update during May 2007.

Disability Discrimination Act 2005: Prosecutions

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many successful prosecutions have been made under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005.

Anne McGuire: The Disability Discrimination Act 2005, which amended, and extended duties under, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), introduced three new provisions that might result in criminal offences. Enforcement action would be under powers in the DDA though we are not aware of any prosecutions under these provisions.
	With regard to enforcement of the DDA's civil rights, data from the Employment Tribunal Service show that, in the year ended March 2006, 173 complaints of disability discrimination were upheld. Data from the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal show that, in the year ended August 2006, 20 complaints of disability discrimination were upheld.

National Insurance Contributions: Pensions

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether years of national insurance credits or contributions prior to 2010 will be counted at their full value towards the 30-year full basic state pension or discounted.

James Purnell: Proposals in the 2006 Pensions Bill will mean people reaching state pension age on or after 6 April 2010 will require 30 qualifying years for a full basic state pension.
	All qualifying years accrued prior to 2010 through payment or crediting of National Insurance contributions will continue to count in full towards the basic state pension. In addition full years of home responsibilities protection awarded prior to 2010 will converted into qualifying years up to a maximum of 22. One qualifying year will be worth around 1/30 of the full rate of the basic state pension.

National Insurance Contributions: Rebates

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what existing arrangements are for contracting and national insurance rebates to employers and employees; what arrangements for rebates will be after the passing of the Pensions Bill; and whether this issue is under review.

James Purnell: The existing arrangements for rebates of national insurance contributions depend on the basis on which a pension scheme is contracted out.
	When an occupational pension scheme is contracted-out on a defined benefit basis, the rebate is made wholly through a reduction in employee and employer national insurance contributions.
	When an occupational pension scheme is contracted-out on a defined contribution basis, the rebate is made through a combination of a reduction in employee and employer national insurance contributions and an age-related rebate paid at the end of the tax year direct to the scheme by HM Revenue and Customs.
	Personal pension schemes (including stakeholder pension schemes) can contract out on a defined contribution basis. In these cases, the rebate is made wholly through an age-related rebate paid at the end of the tax year direct to the scheme by HM Revenue and Customs.
	Once the measures in the Pensions Bill abolishing contracting out on a defined contribution basis come into force, contracting out will only be permitted on a defined benefit basis and rebates will be made under the same arrangements as those currently in place. We are, though, committed to reviewing the situation around five years after the implementation of the pension reform package.

New Deal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to assess the quality of the training providers used in the New Deal programmes.

Jim Murphy: New Deal providers are required to meet stringent quality and delivery standards as set out in contract specifications. They are subject to contract management and monitoring by trained procurement staff. Jobcentre Plus contract management processes are based on monthly analysis of management information, performance management, quality assessment and customer satisfaction feedback. In addition, independent inspections and audits are undertaken by the Adult Learning Inspectorate.

New Deal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the funding received by the training providers for the New Deal programmes was spent on administration in the last period for which figures are available.

Jim Murphy: The information is not available.

New Deal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of leavers from New Deal for Lone Parents recommenced claiming benefits within 12 months of leaving the programme in each year since it began.

Jim Murphy: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage of leavers from New Deal for Lone Parents who recommenced claiming benefits within 12 months of leaving the programme 
			   Percentage 
			 1998 19 
			 1999 19 
			 2000 19 
			 2001 19 
			 2002 21 
			 2003 20 
			 2004 19 
			 2005 19 
			  Notes:  1. New Deal for Lone Parents was launched nationally in October 1998.  2. Latest benefit data are to May 2006, therefore, allowing for a 12-month gap, only New Deal leavers to May 2005 are included.  3. The benefits included are bereavement benefit, incapacity benefit, invalid care allowance, income support, jobseeker's allowance, severe disablement allowance and widows benefit.  4. A benefit claim has only been included if it is a new claim after leaving the New Deal spell. People can leave New Deal and continue a benefit claim; these people are not included as recommencing a claim to benefit.   Source:  Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions.

New Deal

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who has responsibility for monitoring the quality of New Deal programmes.

Jim Murphy: Professionally trained and qualified Jobcentre Plus personnel are responsible for the procurement and contract management of Jobcentre Plus provision, including New Deal contracts.

Occupational Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to present new proposals to assist those who have lost their occupational pension prior to the Report stage of the Pensions Bill; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 22 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 419-20.

Pensioners: Benefits

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the level of take-up was of housing benefit in pensioner households in each region of the UK in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what the level of take-up was of council tax benefit in pensioner households in each region of the UK in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what the level of take-up was of pension credit in each region of the UK in the last 12 months.

James Purnell: Estimates of take-up are not available below the level of Great Britain. The latest estimates of the take-up of the main income-related benefits in Great Britain—income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker's allowance (income-based)—can be found in the DWP report entitled "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2004/2005". Copies of the publication are available in the Library.

Pensioners: Eltham

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent to tackle pensioner poverty in Eltham since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: It is not possible to disaggregate spending on pensioner benefits in general to reveal how much has been spent specifically to tackle pensioner poverty in any particular area.
	However, our policies have been highly effective in tackling pensioner poverty and now, for the first time ever in a period of sustained economic growth, pensioners are less likely to be in poverty than the population as a whole. Since 1997, 1 million pensioners have been lifted out of poverty. Pension credit has played a key part in addressing pensioner poverty; since its introduction the number of pensioners in relative poverty has fallen by half a million. The latest estimates showed that 2.7 million households were receiving pension credit, and this includes 3,150 households in Eltham.
	Nationally, as a result of the measures that this Government have introduced since 1997, we will be spending £10.5 billion more on pensioners in 2006-07 than if 1997 policies had continued. Almost half this spending—over £5 billion—is going to the poorest third of pensioners.

Pensioners: Eltham

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Eltham received  (a) state pension,  (b) pension credit,  (c) winter fuel payments and  (d) free television licences in the last period for which figures are available.

James Purnell: The information requested for state pension, pension credit and winter fuel payments is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Eltham 
			   Number 
			 Total recipients for state pension 12,900 
			 Total recipients (households) for pension credit 3,150 
			 Total recipients for winter fuel payments 14,220 
			  Notes: 1. The constituencies used for state pension are those used for the Westminster Parliament. 2. Pension credit figure is an early estimate as at November 2006. 3. PC recipients are those people who claim PC either on behalf of themselves only or on behalf of a household. This number is equal to the number of households in receipt of PC. 4. Parliamentary constituencies for pension credit and winter fuel payment are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. 5. Any residence found to have four or more occupants aged 60 and over is not included in the household figures as it is assumed to be a care home.  Sources: 1. For State Pension—DWP Information Directorate: 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study data as at August 2006 rounded to the nearest 10. 2. For Pension Credit—Information Directorate 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service rounded to the nearest 10. 3. For Winter Fuel Payment—Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample: 2005-06 Winter and rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	The information requested on free TV licences is not available. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over receiving the winter Fuel payment in the Eltham constituency in 2005-06 was 4,740. Each of these households would therefore be eligible for a free TV licence.

Pensioners: Eltham

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Eltham are entitled to receive pension credit; and how many he estimates have yet to claim it.

James Purnell: Estimates of eligibility are not available below the level of Great Britain, and it is not therefore possible to say how many pensioners are eligible for pension credit in Eltham or how many have yet to take-up their entitlement.
	The latest estimates of the number of pensioners in Great Britain entitled to pension credit were published in "Pension Credit Estimates of Take-Up in 2004-2005". A copy of the report is available in the Library.
	Pension credit has been highly successful in reducing pensioner poverty and now, for the first time in a period of sustained economic growth, pensioners are less likely to be in poverty than the population as a whole. Since the introduction of pension credit, the number of pensioners in relative poverty has fallen by half a million.
	We continue to make every effort to ensure that pension credit goes to those who are entitled to it. The latest estimates showed that 2.7 million households were receiving pension credit, and this includes 3,150 households in Eltham.
	 Notes:
	1. The figure provided is an early estimate. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided is the latest available figure which is taken from the GMS scan at 1 December 2006. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
	2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.
	3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
	 Source:
	DWP 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS) Pension Credit scan taken as at 1 December 2006

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many pensioner benefit units in 2050 will face  (a) a 100 per cent. marginal rate of pension credit withdrawal if the White Paper reforms are implemented and  (b) a 40 per cent. marginal withdrawal rate if they are not.

James Purnell: The proposed reforms to state pensions will provide a solid foundation for private saving, both by limiting the spread of pension credit entitlement and by delivering simpler and more predictable state pension outcomes. Under the proposed reforms, by 2050 just one in 50 pensioners will receive the guarantee credit only when they first reach state pension age. Even then, we would expect many to be able to reduce the interaction between additional private saving and benefit entitlement by taking some or all of their private pension income as a lump sum. Those with private savings of less than £15,000 can take them as a lump sum under the trivial commutation rules.
	It cannot be assumed that all those with 100 per cent. marginal deduction rates are in receipt of the guarantee credit only. People on both guarantee credit and savings credit who qualify for additional amounts because they are severely disabled or a carer or have certain housing costs and are on the savings credit maximum will also have 100 per cent. marginal deduction rates.
	Numbers and proportions of pensioner benefit units in 2050 that will face  (a) a 100 per cent. marginal rate of pension credit withdrawal if the Pensions Bill reforms are implemented and  (b) a 40 per cent. marginal withdrawal rate if they are not are as follows.
	
		
			   Without reform  Pensions Bill reforms 
			   40 per cent. marginal deduction rates: current system standard guarantee credit uprated by earnings  100 per cent. marginal deduction rates: Pensions Bill reforms 
			 Number of pensioner households in 2050 9,050,000 650,000 
			 Proportion of pensioner households in 2050 75 6 
			  Notes:  1. The analysis is based on the reform proposals presented in the Pensions Bill rather than the White Paper. Some methodological improvements were made to the projections of pension credit eligibility between publication of the White Paper and the introduction of the Pensions Bill.  2. Estimates of the number of pensioner households eligible for pension credit are taken from the DWP dynamic micro-simulation model PENSIM2. Modelling of the reform proposals does not include any increase in private saving from the introduction of personal accounts, which would reduce the numbers eligible for pension credit.  3. The marginal deduction rate reflects the extent to which a marginal increase in gross income would result in a change in net income, assuming this is fully taken into account for pension credit entitlement. The deduction rate shown would not apply to all changes in income—for example where additional pension savings are taken as a lump sum.  4. Care should be taken when interpreting these projections as they are subject to a margin of uncertainty. The projections are based on long run simulations of the incomes of individuals under a set of assumptions including life expectancy, partnership formation, earnings growth, employment rates, state and private pension accumulation.  5. Projections of the number of pensioner households eligible for pension credit are derived from the projected proportions eligible and projections of the number of pensioner households in Great Britain.  6. Estimates cover all those aged above women's state pension age in the private household population of Great Britain.  7. Estimates account for equalisation of state pension age between 2010 and 2020. They also account for the proposed further increases in state pension age described in the Pensions Bill. The estimates assume that the minimum age at which people can claim pension credit rises in line with women's state pension age.  8. Projections under the Pensions Bill proposals assume: continued earnings uprating of the standard guarantee credit; the savings credit maximum is uprated by earnings from 2008 and then by prices from 2015; earnings uprating of the basic state pension from 2012; and measures to improve coverage of state pensions described in the Pensions Bill. Figures exclude the effect of personal accounts.  9. Projections under the current system with guarantee credit earnings uprated assume: continued earnings uprating of the standard minimum guarantee; continued price uprating of the savings credit threshold and the basic state pension.  10. The total number of pensioner households under the Pensions Bill reforms is lower than the total number under the current system because of the phased increase in the state pension age starting in 2024   Source:  DWP microsimulation modelling.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will revise Figure 1(xiv) in the Pensions White Paper 'Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System' to show the cost of proposed reforms to employers if all employers currently offering schemes with an employer contribution worth at least 3 per cent. of banded earnings automatically enrol all staff aged 22 years or over with earnings of at least £5,000 a year on their existing schemes on existing terms.

James Purnell: The following figures show the estimated costs to employers who contribute at least 3 per cent. of employees' salary if they were to automatically enrol all staff aged 22 years or over with earnings of at least £5,000 a year into their existing schemes on existing terms.
	Most of these estimated costs would arise from the employer voluntarily offering a scheme with a contribution rate above the proposed minimum.
	
		
			  Costs of employer contribution at existing contribution rates  ( million) 
			  Firm-size  £ million 
			 1-4 100 
			 5-49 200 
			 50-249 300 
			 250+ 1,200 
			 Total 1,800 
			  Notes: 1. These costs cannot be added to costs of the 3 per cent. minimum contribution presented in the White Paper because this would involve double counting 2. Cost to employers are based on estimates of their current contribution rates, not projected contribution rates in 2010. 3. Costs of minimum employer contribution (£ million) are rounded to the nearest £100 million, figures may not sum due to rounding. 4. Participation rates are identical to those used in of Figure l.xiv in the Pensions White Paper 'Security in retirement: Towards a New Pension System' and are based on our central estimate of opt out and around one third. We estimate that the range of opt-out rates will be between 20 per cent. and 50 per cent.  Source: DWP modelling using Employers' Pension Provision Survey 2005, Family Resources Survey 2004-05, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2004 and Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Statistics 2004

Pensions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimates he has made or received of the amount of  (a) state and  (b) occupational pension entitlements accrued by people aged (i) 16 to 30, (ii) 30 to 40, (iii) 40 to 50, (iv) 50 to 65, (v) 65 to 75, (vi) 75 to 85 and (vii) over 85 in (A) the last year for which data are available, (B) 1985 and (C) 1995.

James Purnell: The requested information is not available for occupational pension entitlements.
	The following table provides an estimate of the average number of qualifying years for state pension that had been accrued during a working life in the tax years 1984-85, 1994-85 and 2003-04.
	
		
			  Average number of state pension qualifying years 
			   Tax year 
			  Age  1984-85  1994-95  2003-04 
			 16-29 6.9 7.7 6.2 
			 30-39 17.5 19.9 20.5 
			 40-49 23.2 28.4 31.4 
			 50-64 32.8 34.9 40.0 
			 65-74 36.3 40.9 41.9 
			  Notes:  1. The sample size for people aged over 74 is insufficiently large to provide this information.  2. State pension qualifying years relate to the total number of fully accrued years for basic state pension, SERPS and state second pension.   Source:  Lifetime Labour Market Database (LLMDB).

Pensions

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reinstate the link between pensions and earnings.

James Purnell: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given on 11 December 2006,  Official Report, column 724W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock).

Pensions: Bankruptcy

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who were declared bankrupt and whose pension rights were adversely affected in consequence between the Landau ruling in the High Court of December 1996 and the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 coming into force.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available.

Pensions: EC Law

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what legal advice he has taken on whether the proposed changes to basic pension contributory rules from April 2010 are compatible with European Union law; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The Department has made a full and thorough assessment of the compatibility with European Union Law of the proposed changes to the rules governing entitlement to basic state pension in the Pensions Bill currently going through Parliament. Consequently, we are confident that all these proposed measures are compatible with European Union law.
	Currently, state pension age for men and women is not equal. As a result, men need 44 qualifying years for a full basic state pension whereas women need 39. This inequality is permitted under the derogation at article 7 of the EC directive 79/7.
	Action has already been taken (through the 1995 Pensions Act) to eliminate the inequality in state pension ages between men and women and this will occur between 2010 and 2020. The current Pensions Bill sets out the Government's plans to introduce a new single contribution condition (30 qualifying years for a full basic state pension) for both men and women reaching state pension age from April 2010. This would not, in our view, increase or exacerbate the existing discrimination due to unequal state pension ages between men and women. Any inequality in the system will be limited to the period between 2010 and 2020 and will gradually decrease over that period.

Public-Private Partnerships: Freedom of Information

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs on the application of freedom of information regulations to private companies performing public services.

Anne McGuire: In the course of official business, the Secretary of State has regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues.

State Retirement Pensions

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value would be of the 25p age addition to the state pension in 2006-07 if it had been uprated in line with  (a) prices and  (b) earnings since its introduction; and if he will estimate how much it would cost to increase it to those levels.

James Purnell: The 25p age addition would have a value of £2.44 in 2006-07 had it been increased in line with RPI since 1971. The equivalent figure with earnings uprating would be £4.39.
	It is estimated that it would cost an additional £220 million in 2007-08 to reach the price uprated level. The equivalent figure to reach the earnings uprated level is an additional £420 million.
	 Notes:
	1. The revaluation of the age addition uses National Statistics Time Series for the Whole Economy RPI (CZBH) and the Whole Economy AEI (LNMQ) including bonuses.
	2. Costs are given in 2006-07 prices.

State Retirement Pensions: Scotland

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) men and  (b) women in (i) Glenrothes, (ii) Scotland and (iii) the UK qualify for a full basic state pension.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available. However, the information for recipients with full basic state pension as at March 2006 is in the following table.
	
		
			   Male  Female  Total 
			 Glenrothes parliamentary constituency 5,500 4,900 10,500 
			 Scotland 306,300 305,900 612,200 
			 GB 3,501,600 3,146,700 6,648,300 
			  Notes: 1. Sample data are subject to a degree of sampling error. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Figures have been rated to match WPLS totals. 4. Figures are for Great Britain. 5. A full basic state pension (£84.25 in 2006-07) is paid to those who fully satisfy the contribution conditions either in their own right or where applicable, on the basis of their late or former spouse's contributions.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample data.

Welfare Reform Bill

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations (i) he and (ii) his officials have met to consult on the definition of the support group under the Welfare Reform Bill.

Jim Murphy: The Department has met a wide range of stakeholders to discuss our welfare reform proposals including our approach to the new Employment and Support Allowance support group. In particular, we have discussed the principles of the support group with representatives of organisations involved in the consultative groups overseeing the transformation of the Personal Capability Assessment.

Winter Fuel Payments: Appeals

Derek Conway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeal tribunals there were on winter fuel payment application refusals in each of the last three years; and how many appeals were upheld.

James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Winter fuel payments appeal tribunals 
			   Appeals heard by tribunal  Appeals upheld by tribunal 
			 2003-04 504 4 
			 2004-05 315 5 
			 2005-06 28 2 
			 Total 847 11 
			  Source:  Winter Fuel Payment Centre Records, February 2007

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Mentally Ill

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children with antisocial behaviour orders have underlying brain disorders, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Tony McNulty: Data is not collected centrally about the health or other needs status of persons issued with an antisocial behaviour order.

Antisocial Behaviour: Landlord and Tenant

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many landlords were prosecuted for allowing  (a) drunkenness and  (b) riotous behaviour on their premises in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Vernon Coaker: The following table sets out the number of prosecutions and resulting prosecutions for the offence of allowing drunkenness or riotous behaviour in licensed premises under the Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983. The Licensing Act 2003 repealed the 1983 Act when it came into effect on 24 November 2005 and created separate offences of allowing disorderly conduct on licensed premises and selling alcohol to people who are drunk. Conviction of each offence can lead to suspension or forfeiture of personal licences and a maximum fine of £1,000.
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005 
			 Prosecutions 8 13 10 
			  Of which:
			 Resulted in convictions 6 6 4

Antisocial Behaviour: Motor Vehicles

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for further legal sanctions against antisocial vehicle behaviour; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The range of enforcement powers and penalties which are currently available to address antisocial vehicle use are simple to use and when employed appropriately are effective in stopping nuisance. There are no plans at present to introduce new legal sanctions to address this problem.

Children: Protection

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets his Department sets for police activity on child protection.

Tony McNulty: There are no current targets for police activity on child protection. However, the Home Office is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Department of Health (DoH) and Centrex to explore what indicators might be developed for the police in their role as child abuse investigators.

Community Policing: Manpower

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers were in post in each police authority in England and Wales in the last three years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The available data are given in the table.
	
		
			  Police community support officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 30 September 2004 to 30 September 2006 
			  Police force  30 September 2004  30 September 2005  30 September 2006 
			 Avon and Somerset 82 146 182 
			 Bedfordshire 26 43 47 
			 Cambridgeshire 56 92 125 
			 Cheshire 47 77 77 
			 Cleveland 75 86 111 
			 Cumbria 6 19 27 
			 Derbyshire 0 43 56 
			 Devon and Cornwall 57 75 158 
			 Dorset 22 56 72 
			 Durham 36 72 90 
			 Essex 80 193 296 
			 Gloucestershire 49 62 94 
			 Greater Manchester 198 264 321 
			 Hampshire 0 23 103 
			 Hertfordshire 75 135 165 
			 Humberside 0 20 112 
			 Kent 58 103 100 
			 Lancashire 115 159 224 
			 Leicestershire 54 119 155 
			 Lincolnshire 46 78 134 
			 London, City of 0 14 8 
			 Merseyside 90 161 214 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,810 2,053 2,681 
			 Norfolk 55 67 102 
			 Northamptonshire 27 38 62 
			 Northumbria 51 143 164 
			 North Yorkshire 46 69 85 
			 Nottinghamshire 69 112 155 
			 South Yorkshire 57 125 126 
			 Staffordshire 13 62 103 
			 Suffolk 15 33 46 
			 Surrey 77 102 161 
			 Sussex 183 231 274 
			 Thames Valley 7 109 134 
			 Warwickshire 43 56 61 
			 West Mercia 67 86 170 
			 West Midlands 40 247 348 
			 West Yorkshire 264 433 505 
			 Wiltshire 28 38 85 
			 Dyfed-Powys 4 24 30 
			 Gwent 26 81 97 
			 North Wales 5 61 76 
			 South Wales 65 116 181 
			 Total England and Wales 4,125 6,323 8,517 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Crime

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to reclassify crimes involving cash and valuables in transit from business crime to a category of serious crime; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office Classification of Offences for Criminal Statistics has no category of 'serious' and currently there are no plans to change this.
	The Government recognise the seriousness of cash and valuables in transit (CVIT) robbery and the impact these attacks have on both victims and witnesses. We are currently working hard with stakeholders to establish a cross-industry response to the problem. We are planning a national stakeholder conference in April which will build on the recommendations for action from a London conference to be held on 7 March. Our intention is to develop a programme that will address all aspects of CVIT deliveries.
	The Serious Organised Crime Agency will continue to work closely with local forces on CVIT crime, providing tactical and operational support where appropriate.

Crime: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alcohol-related crimes were committed in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: Police Recorded Crime statistics do not specify whether alcohol was an aggravating factor in an offence unless specifically stated.
	The offence of 'causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs (offence code 4.6)' is recorded together with 'causing death by dangerous driving (offence code 4.4)'. An individual breakdown of figures within these classifications is not available.
	The available combined figures for offence codes 4.4 and 4.6 are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table A: Numbers of offences (code 4.4 and 4.6) recorded for Lancashire police force area, 1996 to 1997 
			   Offences recorded 
			 1996 9 
			 1997 4 
			  Note: Police crime statistics were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997 and thereafter on a financial year basis. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Numbers of offences (code 4.4 and 4.6) recorded for Lancashire police force area, 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			   Offences recorded 
			 1998-99 6 
			 1999-2000 5 
			 2000-01 2 
			 2001-02 9 
			  Note: An expanded offence coverage and revised set of counting rules were introduced in April 1998. Figures recorded before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Numbers of offences (Code 4.4 and 4.6) recorded for Lancashire police force area, 2002-03 to 2005-06 
			   Offences recorded 
			 2002-03 5 
			 2003-04 12 
			 2004-05 6 
			 2005-06 10 
			  Note: Numbers of recorded crime were affected by changes in reporting and recording following the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002. These data are not directly comparable with earlier years.

Crime: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many weapons-related incidents took place in schools in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is not available centrally.

Crime: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of credit card fraud were committed in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: From April 1998 offences of credit card fraud were separately recorded. Prior to this date these offences were recorded within the 'other frauds' classification.
	The available figures are given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table A: Numbers of credit card fraud offences recorded for Lancashire police force area, 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			   Offences recorded 
			 1998-99 2,035 
			 1999-2000 1,633 
			 2000-01 3,233 
			 2001-02 3,085 
			  Note: An expanded offence coverage and revised set of counting rules were introduced in April 1998. Figures recorded before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Numbers of credit card fraud offences recorded for Lancashire police force area, 2002-03 to 2005-06 
			   Offences recorded 
			 2002-03 2,694 
			 2003-04 3,319 
			 2004-05 2,927 
			 2005-06 1,882 
			  Note: Numbers of recorded crime were affected by changes in reporting and recording following the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002. These data are therefore not directly comparable with earlier years.

Crime: Victims

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of victims of crime were  (a) eligible for and  (b) provided with the enhanced service as set out in the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in the last year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Section 4 of the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime specifies that eligibility for enhanced services is based on whether the victim is vulnerable or intimidated (as defined by sections 16 and 17 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999). The Home Office does not collect information centrally about how many or what percentage of all victims of crime are vulnerable or intimidated, or on how many or what percentage were provided with enhanced services under the code.

Crime: Victims

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of available evidence on  (a) victims' willingness to participate in restorative justice processes and  (b) the benefits victims feel they receive from the processes; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government have invested £5 million in the crime reduction programme restorative justice pilots and their evaluation. These pilots delivered restorative justice at all stages of the criminal justice system and to both juveniles and adults. The second (of four) research reports was published in February 2006, 'Restorative justice in practice—findings from the second phase of the evaluation of three schemes', Home Office Research Findings No 274. This report found that victims were prepared to participate in the restorative justice process and that victim participation was very high where cases involved young offenders. The third research report on victim and offender satisfaction is expected to be published later this year.

Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) arrests and  (b) charges were made under section 12(4) of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 in each London borough in each year since 2001;
	(2)  how many  (a) arrests,  (b) charges and  (c) convictions for (i) allowing disorderly conduct on licensed premises and (ii) sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk were made in each London borough in each year since 2003.

Vernon Coaker: Information requested on arrests and offenders charged is not collected centrally.
	Data from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants proceeded against for alcohol consumption in a designated place under section 12 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2004, broken down by London Court Area for the years 2003-05, are provided in table A. No defendants have been proceeded against in Greater London for either (i) allowing disorderly conduct on licensed premises or (ii) sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk during those years.
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in November 2007.
	The offences of consumption of alcohol in a designated public place and sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND), and data on the number of PNDs issued for those offences in the Metropolitan police force area in 2004, 2005, as well as provisional data for January to June 2006 are provided in table B. PND data are collected at police force area level only and more detailed data are not centrally collected.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for consumption of alcohol in a designated public place, by London Court Area, 2003-05( 1,2) 
			  London Court Area  2003  2004  2005 
			  City of London police
			 Guildhall Criminal Justice Rooms — — — 
			 
			  Metropolitan police
			 Inner London Magistrates Courts
			 Bow Street — 9 4 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 14 2 1 
			 Horseferry Road 10 1 4 
			 Thames — — 1 
			 West London — 3 — 
			 
			 Outer London Courts
			 Barnet — 1 — 
			 Bromley — 1 2 
			 Enfield 1 — 4 
			 Haringey 10 2 2 
			 Redbridge 1 — — 
			 Sutton — — 1 
			 Waltham Forest — — 1 
			 
			 Total 36 19 20 
			 (1) Principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Number of penalty notices for disorder issued for selected offences in Greater London, 2004, 2005 and January to June 2006 Provisional Data( 1) 
			  Police force area  DA16 Sale of alcohol to drunken person( 2)  DB07 Consumption of alcohol in public place 
			  2004   
			 City of London (3)— — 
			 Metropolitan (3)— 194 
			  2005   
			 City of London — 1 
			 Metropolitan 3 327 
			  January-June 2006( 4)   
			 City of London — — 
			 Metropolitan 2 190 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (2) Offence added to the PND scheme on the 4 April 2005.  (3) Not applicable.  (4) Provisional figures.

Departments: Publications

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the last six editions of his Department's staff magazine.

John Reid: All issues of the magazine for the last 12 months have already been supplied to the parliamentary library. We are currently updating the distribution process of the magazine so that all future copies will be sent there automatically.

Drugs: Money Laundering

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he has made to the statement of Michael A. Braun, Chief of Operations of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, before a Committee of the House of Representatives on the support for Operation White Dollar from the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Vernon Coaker: We agree that collaboration between the law enforcement authorities of different countries is important in tackling organised crime.

Elderly: Abuse

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of  (a) (i) physical, (ii) psychological, (iii) financial and (iv) sexual abuse and  (b) neglect of elderly people were (A) reported and (B) prosecuted in (1) England and Wales and (2) Cheadle in the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: The specific information requested is not recorded separately within police recorded crime statistics. This data series does not contain any information relating to the victim and therefore, breakdowns by age are not possible. However, The Home Office does, via the British Crime Survey, annually publish the risk of being a victim of different crime types by age group for men and women. The most recent figures, based on the 2005-06 BCS, found that overall older people were less likely to be victims of crime than younger people (see tables 1 and 2).
	Table 1 shows that households where the household reference person (HRP) was aged 65 or more were less likely to be victims of burglary, criminal damage or vehicle thefts than those living in households where the head of household is younger. For instance, 1.5 per cent. of households where the HRP was aged 75 and over were victims of one or more burglaries in 2005-06, compared with 2.4 per cent. of all households and 5.9 per cent. of households where the HRP was aged 16 to 24.
	Table 2 shows that the risk of being a victim of violent crime is considerably lower for older people than younger adults. For instance, 0.5 per cent. of men and women aged 65 to 74 were victims of one or more incidents of violence in 2005-06. This compares with 3.4 per cent. of all adults, 12.6 per cent. of men aged 16 to 24 and 7.0 per cent. of women aged 16 to 24. It also shows 0.3 per cent. of men and 1.3 per cent. of women aged 75 and over were victims of one of more incidents of theft from the person in 2005-06. This compares with 2.3 per cent. of men and 3.3 per cent. of women aged 16 to 24.
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of households victims of burglary, vehicle thefts and criminal damage by age of household reference person— 2005-06 BCS 
			  Percentage victims once or more 
			  Age of household reference person  All burglary  All vehicle theft  All criminal damage 
			 16 to 24 5.9 13.6 8.2 
			 25 to 34 3.4 10.3 9.0 
			 35 to 44 3.0 8.7 10.0 
			 45 to 54 2.4 8.8 9.3 
			 55 to 64 1.6 6.1 7.3 
			 65 to 74 1.2 2.6 4.6 
			 75+ 1.5 2.6 2.8 
			 
			 All households 2.4 7.5 7.6 
			  Note: Figures for vehicle thefts based on vehicle-owning households. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Percentage of adult victims of violence and theft from the person by age—2005-06 BCS 
			  Percentage victims once or more 
			   All violence  Theft from person 
			  Men 4.3 0.9 
			 16 to 24 12.6 2.3 
			 25 to 34 5,5 1.4 
			 35 to 44 3.9 0.7 
			 45 to 54 3.1 0.5 
			 55 to 64 1.1 0.4 
			 65 to 74 0.5 0.2 
			 75+ 0.3 0.3 
			
			  Women 2.5 1.5 
			 16 to 24 7.0 3.3 
			 25 to 34 2.8 1.0 
			 35 to 44 3.0 1.3 
			 45 to 54 2.2 1.3 
			 55 to 64 1.0 1.0 
			 65 to 74 0.5 1.5 
			 75+ 0.4 1.3 
			
			  All adults 3.4 1.2

Firearms

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) firearms and  (b) rounds of ammunition were seized by police forces in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 February 2007
	The information requested is not currently collated centrally.
	However, ACPO—Association of Chief Police Officers—supported by the Home Office, are currently developing the national ballistics intelligence programme—NABIP—which will implement a national police firearms intelligence system incorporating: a registry of recovered weapons and ammunition, a tactical intelligence database and a police-based forensic capability to link firearm incidents. NABIP is due to be launched in April 2008.

Firearms: Crime

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were victims of  (a) fatal and  (b) non-fatal shootings in each year between 1997 and 2006, broken down by ethnic group.

Tony McNulty: The ethnicity of gun crime victims has been collected since April 2004 only. The number of shootings resulting in  (a) fatal and  (b) serious/slight injuries in 2004-05 and 2005-06, by ethnicity of victim, is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Crimes recorded by the police in which weapons (including air weapons) were reported to have been fired and caused injury, England and Wales, 2004-05 and 2005-06 
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			  Victim ethnicity  Fatal injury  Serious( 1)  or slight injury  Fatal injury  Serious( 1)  or slight injury 
			 Asian or Asian British 7 203 4 220 
			 Black or Black British 25 334 19 351 
			 Chinese or other 1 80 1 119 
			 Mixed 0 83 1 79 
			 White 40 3,569 18 2,952 
			 Not recorded 5 342 7 265 
			 Total 78 4,611 50 3,986 
			 (1) A serious injury is one which necessitated detention in hospital or involved fractures, concussion, severe general shock, penetration by a bullet or multiple shot wounds.   Note:  These figures may not agree with those presented in the homicide chapter of "Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2005/06" (HOSB 02/07) because the homicide figures are compiled at a later date and take into account the results of court proceedings.

Fraud: Elections

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for electoral fraud there were in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of people prosecuted for electoral fraud under the Representation of the People Act 1983, in England and Wales, 2001 to 2005 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for electoral fraud under the Representation of the People Act 1983  England and Wales, 2001 to 2005( 1,2) 
			  Statute  Offence  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Representation of the People Act 1983 Sec 113, 114, 115. Bribery. Treating. Undue influence. 7 — 1 2 5 
			 Representation of the People Act 1983 Sec 60. Personation. 9 — 1 1 1 
			 Total  16 — 2 3 6 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Homicide: Young People

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders in England and Wales were committed by individuals under the age of 25 in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Available data relate to currently recorded offences of homicide (murder, manslaughter and infanticide) between 2001-02 and 2005-06, where the principal suspect is aged under 25 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Offences currently( 1, 2)  recorded as homicide where the principal suspect is aged under 25, England and Wales, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   Number of victims 
			 2001-02 217 
			 2002-03 187 
			 2003-04 214 
			 2004-05 239 
			 2005-06 250 
			 (1 )As at 9 October 2006; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.  (2) Offences are shown according to the year in which the police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 31 January to question 118556, how many people were charged with offences related to trafficking of people in England and Wales in each year since 2000; and how many were charged under immigration legislation.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 22 February 2007
	Information on charging is not held within the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. The following table has been provided by the Crown Prosecution Services; it shows the number of charged offences under s57, s58 and s59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and s25 Immigration Act 1971 for offences of trafficking people reaching a first hearing in 2005 and 2006. Any offences under s4 Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 would also be relevant to the hon. Member's question, but no such offences were recorded during the two years in question.
	
		
			  Number of charged offences under s57, s58 and s59 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and s25 Immigration Act 1971 for offences of trafficking people reaching a first hearing for 2005 and 2006 
			  Statute  2005  2006 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s57 15 14 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s57(1) 23 7 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s58 12 34 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s58(1) 7 16 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s59 0 2 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s59(1) 0 1 
			
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25(1) 209 225 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25(1) and (6) 233 236 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25(l)(b) 12 5 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25(l)(c) 34 5 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25A and 25(6) 24 32 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25B(1) and 25(6) 2 0 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25B(3) and 25(6) 11 4 
			 Total 582 581 
			  Note: Figures represent numbers of offences reaching a first hearing  Source: Offence Based universe of CPS (Crown Prosecution Services) Compass Management Information System

Immigration Controls: Biometrics

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures he will put in place to help vulnerable foreign nationals who have difficulty travelling register for a biometric immigration document.

John Reid: We will consider special provision, for example mobile enrolment, for those unable to attend a public caller facility to have their biometrics recorded.

Military Convictions

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures there are for adding military convictions which occur  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas to the police national computer.

John Reid: holding answer 16 January 2007
	Military convictions for recordable offences, regardless of whether they occur in the UK or overseas, are input through direct access to the police national computer (PNC) by the Central Criminal Records and Intelligence Office of the Service Police Crime Bureau.

National Identity Register

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his plans to offset the costs of the National Identity Register with fee revenue include  (a) fees for biometric immigration documents,  (b) fees for applications for an identity card,  (c) accreditation fees paid by organisations wishing to verify identities via the National Identity Register and  (d) fees paid by accredited organisations to verify individual identities.

John Reid: It is intended that the cost of the National Identity Scheme, which includes the National Identity Register, will be primarily funded by fee revenue from the products and services that arise from the scheme, such as those from the applications to be entered in the register when obtaining a designated document, those from the issue of identity cards or those from the provision of identity checking services.

National Identity Register

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an initial estimate of the charges that will be made to organisations accredited for the national identity register for  (a) accreditation and  (b) individual identity checks.

John Reid: A schedule of fees for the national identity scheme cannot be finalised until contracts with suppliers connected to the operation of the scheme are signed. However, secondary legislation must be brought before Parliament to determine a schedule of fees in advance of the launch of the national identity scheme.

National Identity Register

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely annual number of identity checks that will be carried out for accredited organisations  (a) once the National Identity Register is operational and  (b) once entry onto the National Identity Register is compulsory.

John Reid: Until further detailed work with potential user organisations during the preparation and initial rollout of the National Identity Card Scheme are complete, it is not possible to provide a total number of likely verification transactions that will be used by public and private sector organisations in the first years of the scheme.

Nolle Prosequi

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK nationals had police files opened on them in England and Wales without criminal proceedings being instigated against them in 2005-06.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collected centrally. Each police force maintains local records which may be opened for a wide variety of reasons relating, for example, to individuals as witnesses, victims or suspects of crime. Individuals may also come to the attention of the police as missing persons. In addition records on an individual may be held by more than one force.

Police: Databases

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether members of the  (a) Royal Military Police and  (b) Ministry of Defence police have access to the National Police Computer in respect of (i) military personnel, (ii) family members of military personnel and (iii) civilians.

Tony McNulty: Authorised PNC operators of the Royal Military and Ministry of Defence police have access to the Police National Computer for policing purposes.
	The Police National Computer does not immediately identify individual nominal records as being military personnel, family members of military personnel or civilians. At face value all of those persons with a record on PNC would be regarded as 'civilians'.
	While it is possible for an individual's employment to be recorded as being a member of the 'armed forces', it is only possible to see those details by delving deeper into a specific record, once that record has been selected by name.
	It is possible to make a general inquiry of the Police National Computer to identify all of the records where 'armed forces' is shown in the employment field. However, this would return a list of names and very few operators have that level of search capability.

Police: Ethnic Groups

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people classified as being from an ethnic minority were recruited for the post of  (a) police officer,  (b) police community support officer and  (c) special constable by police in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the police work force this represented in each case.

Tony McNulty: The available data for 2002-03 to 2005-06 inclusive are given in the tables.
	
		
			  Police community support officer minority ethnic recruits( 1)  to police forces from 2002-03 to 2005-06( 2)  (FTE)( 3)  and recruits as  percentage of total strength 
			   2002-03  2003-04 
			   Minority ethnic recruits  Total strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage)  Minority ethnic recruits  Total strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 0 — 0 45 0.0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 — 1 12 8.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 6 0.0 0 57 0.0 
			 Cheshire 0 2 0.0 0 50 0.0 
			 Cleveland 1 37 2.7 0 77 0.0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 19 0.0 0 51 0.0 
			 Dorset 0 6 0.0 0 8 0.0 
			 Durham 0 10 0.0 0 28 0.0 
			 Essex 1 10 5.3 0 86 0.0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 — 3 54 5.6 
			 Greater Manchester 13 160 8.1 1 173 0.6 
			 Hampshire 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Hertfordshire 1 14 7.2 1 46 2.2 
			 Humberside 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Kent 0 0 — 0 59 0.0 
			 Lancashire 1 77 1.3 0 110 0.0 
			 Leicestershire 1 28 3.6 6 41 14.6 
			 Lincolnshire 1 29 3.4 0 38 0.0 
			 London, City of 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 Merseyside 2 40 5.0 0 72 0.0 
			 Metropolitan Police 132 513 25.8 368 1,463 25.2 
			 Norfolk 0 12 0.0 0 33 0.0 
			 Northamptonshire 1 12 8.3 0 10 0.0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 — 1 51 2.0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 — 0 52 0.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 10 0.0 2 56 4.4 
			 South Yorkshire 0 14 0.0 1 59 1.7 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 — 1 7 13.5 
			 Suffolk 0 0 — 0 15 0.0 
			 Surrey 0 21 0.0 2 56 2.9 
			 Sussex 0 22 0.0 1 83 1.2 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 — 0 7 0.0 
			 Warwickshire 0 11 0.0 1 25 4.0 
			 West Mercia 0 8 0.0 1 57 1.7 
			 West Midlands 0 0 — 4 39 10.3 
			 West Yorkshire 5 70 7.1 12 265 4.5 
			 Wiltshire 0 15 0.0 0 23 0.0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 0 — 0 5 0.0 
			 Gwent 0 30 0.0 0 45 0.0 
			 North Wales 0 0 — 0 0 — 
			 South Wales 0 0 — 5 59 8.5 
			 England and Wales 159 1,176 13.5 411 3,418 12.0 
		
	
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			   Minority ethnic recruits  Total strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage)  Minority ethnic recruits  Total strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 0 139 0.0 0 130 0.0 
			 Bedfordshire 4 40 10.1 1 41 2.4 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 86 2.3 3 101 3.0 
			 Cheshire 1 52 1.9 0 75 0.0 
			 Cleveland 0 75 0.0 0 100 0.0 
			 Cumbria 0 17 0.0 0 17 0.0 
			 Derbyshire 4 43 9.3 0 42 0.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 74 0.0 0 74 0.0 
			 Dorset 0 47 0.0 2 61 3.3 
			 Durham 1 69 1.4 0 67 0.0 
			 Essex 6 179 3.4 0 192 0.0 
			 Gloucestershire 2 72 2.8 0 72 0.0 
			 Greater Manchester 2 269 0.7 2 251 0.8 
			 Hampshire 0 26 0.0 0 30 0.0 
			 Hertfordshire 2 98 2.0 1 139 0.7 
			 Humberside 1 20 5.0 0 20 0.0 
			 Kent 2 105 1 .9 0 97 0.0 
			 Lancashire 1 161 0.6 3 184 1.6 
			 Leicestershire 7 103 6.8 9 136 6.6 
			 Lincolnshire 0 75 0.0 0 78 0.0 
			 London, City of 3 14 21.4 1 11 9.1 
			 Merseyside 2 170 1.2 1 196 0.5 
			 Metropolitan Police 247 2,147 11.5 152 2,315 6.6 
			 Norfolk 3 68 4.4 1 65 1.5 
			 Northamptonshire 2 37 5.4 0 40 0.0 
			 Northumbria 2 126 1.6 1 129 0.8 
			 North Yorkshire 0 75 0.0 0 71 0.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 3 108 2.8 0 112 0.0 
			 South Yorkshire 3 124 2.4 0 121 0.0 
			 Staffordshire 3 63 4.8 1 70 1.4 
			 Suffolk 0 34 0.0 0 30 0.0 
			 Surrey 2 115 1.7 2 126 1.6 
			 Sussex 4 228 1 .8 0 257 0.0 
			 Thames Valley 6 98 6.1 7 130 5.4 
			 Warwickshire 0 56 0.0 1 64 1.6 
			 West Mercia 0 81 0.0 0 85 0.0 
			 West Midlands 19 219 8.7 9 252 3.4 
			 West Yorkshire 7 394 1.8 7 462 1.5 
			 Wiltshire 0 41 0.0 0 57 0.0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 25 0.0 0 26 0.0 
			 Gwent 0 77 0.0 0 76 0.0 
			 North Wales 0 59 0.0 0 58 0.0 
			 South Wales 3 107 2.8 0 111 0.0 
			 England and Wales 344 6,214 5.5 204 6,769 3.0 
			 (1) Recruits included those officers joining as Police Standard Direct Recruits and those who were previously special constables. This excludes police community support officers on transfers from other forces and those rejoining. (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2002-03. (3) Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police officer minority ethnic recruits( 1)  to police forces from 2002-03 to 2005-06( 2)  (FTE)( 3)  and recruits as percentage of total strength 
			   2002-03  2003-04 
			   Minority ethnic recruits  Total strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage)  Minority ethnic recruits  Total strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 3,160 0.1 4 3,417 0.1 
			 Bedfordshire 4 1,119 0.4 5 1,199 0.4 
			 Cambridgeshire 5 1,391 0.4 6 1,412 0.4 
			 Cheshire 1 2,137 0.0 6 2,204 0.3 
			 Cleveland 1 1,592 0.1 2 1,697 0.1 
			 Cumbria 0 1,154 0.0 4 1,241 0.3 
			 Derbyshire 6 2,010 0.3 1 2,084 0.0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2 3,215 0.1 2 3,311 0.1 
			 Dorset 1 1,422 0.1 1 1,453 0.1 
			 Durham 0 1,662 0.0 4 1,701 0.2 
			 Essex 0 3,007 0.0 3 3,120 0.1 
			 Gloucestershire 0 1,237 0.0 3 1,298 0.2 
			 Greater Manchester 2 7,391 0.0 41 8,111 0.5 
			 Hampshire 6 3,707 0.2 7 3,780 0.2 
			 Hertfordshire 7 1,977 0.4 14 2,117 0.7 
			 Humberside 1 2,123 0.0 4 2,231 0.2 
			 Kent 2 3,488 0.1 4 3,621 0.1 
			 Lancashire 14 3,380 0.4 15 3,579 0.4 
			 Leicestershire 6 2,147 0.3 18 2,300 0.8 
			 Lincolnshire 1 1,236 0.1 1 1,241 0.1 
			 London, City of 4 811 0.5 7 856 0.8 
			 Merseyside 3 4,112 0.1 7 4,129 0.2 
			 Metropolitan Police 305 28,231 1.1 500 30,035 1.7 
			 Norfolk 2 1,509 0.1 0 1,524 0.0 
			 Northamptonshire 2 1,222 0.2 7 1,261 0.6 
			 Northumbria 6 4,018 0.1 1 4,061 0.0 
			 North Yorkshire 2 1,452 0.1 2 1,534 0.1 
			 Nottinghamshire 6 2,426 0.2 7 2,507 0.3 
			 South Yorkshire 3 3,194 0.1 9 3,307 0.3 
			 Staffordshire 0 2,224 0.0 2 2,286 0.1 
			 Suffolk 1 1,258 0.1 3 1,314 0.2 
			 Surrey 8 1,933 0.4 3 1,942 0.2 
			 Sussex 0 3,037 0.0 4 3,090 0.1 
			 Thames Valley 9 3,899 0.2 20 4,103 0.5 
			 Warwickshire 4 1,000 0.4 1 1,011 0.1 
			 West Mercia 1 2,267 0.0 2 2,365 0.1 
			 West Midlands 48 7,832 0.6 49 8,008 0.6 
			 West Yorkshire 12 5,037 0.2 16 5,313 0.3 
			 Wiltshire 2 1,169 0.2 5 1,225 0.4 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1 1,156 0.1 0 1,167 0.0 
			 Gwent 1 1,347 0.1 2 1,376 0.1 
			 North Wales 0 1,553 0.0 0 1,625 0.0 
			 South Wales 4 3,269 0.1 3 3,312 0.1 
			 England and Wales 485 132,509 0.4 795 138,468 0.6 
		
	
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			   Minority ethnic recruits  Total strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage)  Minority Ethnic Recruits  Total Strength  Minority ethnic recruit (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 3,398 0.1 4 3,439 0.1 
			 Bedfordshire 12 1,232 1.0 9 1,225 0.7 
			 Cambridgeshire 6 1,418 0.4 1 1,449 0.1 
			 Cheshire 0 2,207 0.0 3 2,218 0.1 
			 Cleveland 2 1,689 0.1 6 1,702 0.4 
			 Cumbria 1 1,260 0.1 0 1,265 0.0 
			 Derbyshire 1 2,082 0.0 3 2,073 0.1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 3,399 0.0 1 3,540 0.0 
			 Dorset 0 1,475 0.0 0 1,512 0.0 
			 Durham 1 1,738 0.1 1 1,716 0.1 
			 Essex 7 3,230 0.2 7 3,322 0.2 
			 Gloucestershire 2 1,308 0.2 1 1,303 0.1 
			 Greater Manchester 32 8,119 0.4 11 8,071 0.1 
			 Hampshire 5 3,803 0.1 13 3,800 0.3 
			 Hertfordshire 5 2,145 0.2 8 2,166 0.4 
			 Humberside 0 2,252 0.0 0 2,232 0.0 
			 Kent 8 3,630 0.2 6 3,648 0.2 
			 Lancashire 6 3,585 0.2 5 3,635 0.1 
			 Leicestershire 6 2,311 0.3 9 2,277 0.4 
			 Lincolnshire 2 1,234 0.2 2 1,236 0.2 
			 London, City of 8 881 0.9 3 875 0.3 
			 Merseyside 10 4,339 0.2 7 4,302 0.2 
			 Metropolitan Police 252 31,073 0.8 166 30,948 0.5 
			 Norfolk 0 1,554 0.0 0 1,575 0.0 
			 Northamptonshire 6 1,289 0.5 1 1,338 0.1 
			 Northumbria 2 4,088 0.0 5 4,066 0.1 
			 North Yorkshire 0 1,561 0.0 0 1,653 0.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 5 2,522 0.2 2 2,512 0.1 
			 South Yorkshire 5 3,307 0.2 5 3,305 0.2 
			 Staffordshire 3 2,309 0.1 3 2,302 0.1 
			 Suffolk 0 1,323 0.0 3 1,307 0.2 
			 Surrey 1 1,959 0.1 7 1,967 0.4 
			 Sussex 6 3,094 0.2 7 3,127 0.2 
			 Thames Valley 14 4,189 0.3 15 4,288 0.3 
			 Warwickshire 5 1,012 0.5 10 1,040 1.0 
			 West Mercia 2 2,380 0.1 1 2,385 0.0 
			 West Midlands 43 8,154 0.5 54 8,192 0.7 
			 West Yorkshire 35 5,671 0.6 8 5,685 0.1 
			 Wiltshire 2 1,229 0.2 1 1,230 0.1 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 1,183 0.0 1 1,194 0.1 
			 Gwent 0 1,438 0.0 2 1,467 0.1 
			 North Wales 1 1,676 0.1 0 1,634 0.0 
			 South Wales 3 3,316 0.1 5 3,303 0.2 
			 England and Wales 502 141,059 0.4 396 141,523 0.3 
			 (1) Recruits included those officers joining as Police Standard Direct Recruits and those who were previously special constables. This excludes police officers on transfers from other forces and those rejoining. (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2002-03. (3) Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

Police: Standards

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish the tackling of business and retail crime as a key performance indicator for the police.

Vernon Coaker: There are no plans to make tackling business and retail crime an additional key performance indicator for the police. In general, as part of the overall drive to reduce bureaucracy in the police service, the Home Office is committed to reducing the number of performance indicators applied to them.
	It is open to individual Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to develop their own strategies based on any particular local crime problems they have identified in their audits.

Prison Accommodation

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the average time taken to complete a prison cell sharing risk assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 March 2007
	In the most recent evaluation of the cell sharing risk assessment, the average time taken to complete sections one and two of the form varied by type of establishment. Officers at male local and female prisons took around six minutes to complete these sections: at young offenders institutes the average was around eight minutes.

Prison Service: Standards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many service level agreements for the Prison Service include a requirement to report on progress six months after the commencement of the agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Two establishments, Bullingdon and Wandsworth prison, were specifically required to submit reports on progress six months after the commencement of their service level agreements.

Prison Service: Standards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to ensure that those responsible for the investigation of professional standards issues within HM Prison Service are not influenced by those responsible for managed moves and career progression within the organisation as part of their investigations; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Section 3.B of Prison Service Order 1300—Investigations states:
	"Investigators must have no significant conflicts of interest with the matter or persons under investigation. Should such conflicts arise within the course of an investigation the matter must be immediately referred to the Commissioning Authority."
	This is a mandatory requirement and commissioning authorities must ensure that this requirement is met.

Prison Service: Unfair Dismissal

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in HM Prison Service were found to have been unfairly dismissed in each of the last five years; what the cost to the public purse was for  (a) legal services and  (b) compensation in consequence of such dismissals; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information is not held centrally to answer the question to the level of detail required and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Day Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed in each of the last five years by prisoners on day release.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held centrally. In order to answer the question it would be necessary to interrogate the individual records held at prisons of all prisoners who were released on licence in the last five years and to cross reference that with the police national computer records. This could be done only at disproportionate costs.

Prisons: Informers

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison informants  (a) self-harmed and  (b) committed suicide (i) whilst detained in prison and (ii) after leaving prison in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not Prison Service policy to confirm or deny details on the use of covert human intelligence sources.
	In any event, information about self-harm and deaths amongst prisoners or people released from prison is not collated centrally in the requested format and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Prisons: Management

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist in HM Prison Service to ensure that good practice is disseminated from employment issues arising from  (a) employment tribunals and  (b) civil service appeal boards to ensure that (i) management failings and (ii) costs to the public purse are not repeated; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The public sector Prison Service has quarterly meetings with Treasury Solicitors and Home Office Legal Advisors Branch, which include a review of learning from employment tribunals and civil service appeal boards. Learning points, together with examples of good practice, are then disseminated through updates on the Prison Service's guidance websites, which are available to all staff via the intranet system; and weekly communications to the HR—human resources—community.

Prisons: Ministers of Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which imams served as prison chaplains in each year since 2001.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 March 2007
	There is no central record that holds this information. It would also not be appropriate to provide the names of those filling this role.

Probation: Vacancies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies for  (a) probation officers and  (b) probation service officers there were for each probation area on the latest date for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Not all probation areas in the national probation service operate a set establishment against which vacant posts can be measured. As a more representative alternative, probation areas are required to report regularly on the number of active vacancies they have. An active vacancy is one which a probation area is actively trying to fill through a recruitment process.
	Figures for 31 March 2006 show that there were a total of 8,262.50 full-time equivalent probation officers in post in England and Wales. On the same date, there were 227.70 full-time equivalent vacancies that were actively being recruited to. Therefore active vacancies accounted for 2.68 per cent. of the total posts available at that time.
	Additionally, the national probation service employs 6,544.28 full-time equivalent probation service officers, who also deliver front-line services to offenders. At this time, there were 347.30 full-time equivalent vacancies, equating to 5.04 per cent. of the total posts available.
	The figures presented in the table show active vacancies for each area, in terms of full-time equivalent value, for the probation officer and probation service officer grades at the close of Quarter four 05/06 (1 January to 31 March 2006). We are not able to provide a breakdown for the Greater Manchester or West Midlands probation areas as they are currently unable to provide data on active vacancies. We are also not able to provide vacancy figures for Merseyside probation area as they are not actively recruiting.
	
		
			  Probation Officer and Probation Service officers vacancies, as at 31 March 2006 
			  Area  Vacancies (all grades)  PO vacancies  PO vacancies (as a percentage of total PO posts( 1) )  PSO vacancies  PSO vacancies (as a percentage of total PSO posts( 1) ) 
			 Avon and Somerset 20.00 6.50 3.07 6.10 3.12 
			 Bedfordshire 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Cambridgeshire 10.42 5.60 5.64 4.60 5.27 
			 Cheshire 5.56 0.00 0.00 2.50 1.95 
			 Cumbria 9.69 1.00 1.30 4.00 9.60 
			 Derbyshire 11.50 1.50 1.08 4.00 3.52 
			 Devon and Cornwall 9.10 3.40 1.72 1.00 0.68 
			 Dorset 5.80 3.00 3.41 0.30 0.39 
			 Durham 15.00 15.00 10.96 0.00 0.00 
			 Dyfed Powys 18.58 3.70 5.61 4.48 8.23 
			 Essex 12.10 2.00 1.26 4.60 2.65 
			 Gloucestershire 8.00 4.00 5.97 1.00 2.28 
			 Greater Manchester(2) n/k n/k — n/k — 
			 Gwent 19.00 0.00 0.00 7.00 6.86 
			 Hampshire 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Hertfordshire 21.32 10.10 10.58 7.22 8.04 
			 Humberside 17.00 7.00 3.57 3.60 2.20 
			 Kent 11.02 3.00 1.54 4.02 2.26 
			 Lancashire 9.00 0.00 0.00 6.00 3.84 
			 Leicestershire 16.50 5.00 2.94 5.50 2.68 
			 Lincolnshire 5.00 4.00 4.70 0.00 0.00 
			 London 486.50 64.50 5.70 224.00 18.88 
			 Merseyside(3) n/k n/k — n/k — 
			 Norfolk 2.00 0.00 0.00 2.00 1.51 
			 North Wales 5.40 1.00 0.92 2.40 2.87 
			 North Yorkshire 11.20 2.50 2.56 5.50 10.81 
			 Northamptonshire 19.10 9.00 8.36 0.00 0.00 
			 Northumbria 7.00 0.00 0.00 4.00 2.17 
			 Nottinghamshire 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 South Wales 10.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 South Yorkshire 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Staffordshire 30.10 11.50 6.24 6.50 6.95 
			 Suffolk 8.44 2.90 2.87 4.54 5.62 
			 Surrey 19.10 3.60 4.11 3.80 3.54 
			 Sussex 5.70 1.00 0.59 1.20 0.91 
			 Teesside 45.31 26.00 16.62 0.00 0.00 
			 Thames Valley 41.00 15.00 6.22 8.00 3.32 
			 Warwickshire 7.18 0.00 0.00 2.44 4.92 
			 West Mercia 15.00 0.90 0.53 5.10 4.14 
			 West Midlands(2) n/k n/k — — — 
			 West Yorkshire 10.00 1.00 0.24 7.00 2.48 
			 Wiltshire 29.70 14.00 16.43 4.90 9.25 
			   
			 NPS 977.32 227.70 2.68 347.30 5.04 
			 (1) Total PO and PSO posts are 'staff in post' plus the number of active vacancies.  (2) Greater Manchester and West Midlands probation areas are unable to provide data on active vacancies.  (3) Merseyside probation area are not actively recruiting.

Samar Alami

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision as to whether  (a) he and  (b) the Parole Board will consider the application for parole of Ms Samar Alami.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 March 2007
	It is not the practice to provide information about individual cases. However, I have written to the hon. Member.

Sexual Offences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of sexual offenders in prison attended the sexual offender treatment programme in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number of sex offenders in prison and the number attending programmes constantly varies. Therefore the information is not available. In addition, not all sex offenders are suitable or eligible for the programme. The following table provides information on the number of sex offender treatment programme completions in the Prison Service, and data on the sex offender population(1) at 30 June of each year.
	(1 )Defined as prisoners with an index offence of a sexual nature.
	
		
			   SOTP completions( 1)  Sex offender population at  30 June( 2) 
			 2001-02 867 5,107 
			 2002-03 948 5,294 
			 2003-04 1,157 5,540 
			 2004-05 1,232 5,773 
			 2005-06 1,152 6,185 
			 (1) Figures includes both public and contracted sectors. (2 )Immediate custodial sentenced population in prison establishments for sexual offences.

Sexual Offences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost is per person of the sexual offender treatment programme; and what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the programme in reducing reoffending.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The prison and probation services offer a range of sex offender treatment programmes to meet different needs. The cost varies across programme and by establishment or area depending on factors such as the risk presented by the offenders concerned, nature of the programme, volume of delivery and the existing infrastructure. Cost therefore can vary from around £3,500 to £10,000 per completion.
	Sex offender treatment programme participants in prison and probation have demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in sexual and/or violent reconviction within two years of release or completion of a community programme, in comparison with offenders who have not undergone the programme (Friendship et al., 2003; Allam, 1998).

Terrorism

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when  (a) Ministers and  (b) his Department received (i) Lord Carlile's report on the definition of terrorism and (ii) Lord Carlile's report on the operation of control orders which was published on 19 February.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 March 2007
	The Department received the first draft of Lord Carlile's report on the definition of terrorism on 7 January and it was submitted to Ministers on 2 February. The Department received the first draft of Lord Carlile's report on the operation of control orders on 25 January. The draft final version of the report was submitted to Ministers on 9 February.

Victim Support Schemes: Children

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which constituencies in the UK young witness support is available to children who appear in court; and how much his Department spent on providing such services in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government give Victim Support an annual grant to run the community service to support victims of crime and a witness service in every Crown court, magistrates court and youth court. The current grant is £30 million, including £2 million which is ring-fenced to provide enhanced services for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including children.
	
		
			   Grant (£ million) 
			 2001-02 25.05 
			 2002-03 29.3 
			 2003-04 30 
			 2004-05 30 
			 2005-06 30 
		
	
	Since 2004 we have set up witness care units in all areas of England and Wales, providing tailored support for witnesses, including children and their parents or carers, once a charge is made. The units are run jointly by the Crown Prosecution Service and the police. The total funding allocated to the project over the last three years was £36 million.
	Under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, we introduced special measures, such as screens and video links, to make the experience of giving evidence less difficult for children and other vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.
	We have also provided a Young Witness Pack and other resources, specifically for young witnesses, and are implementing a programme for improvement of facilities for young witnesses in court buildings.

Victim Support Schemes: Children

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what witness support is available to children in Portsmouth.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Young witnesses in Portsmouth should be benefiting from a number of initiatives which we have introduced to increase the support and information available for victims and witnesses throughout England and Wales.
	The Government provide an annual grant to Victim Support to run the community service to support victims of crime and a witness service in every criminal court. The current grant of £30 million includes £2 million which is ring-fenced to provide enhanced services for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including children. Part of this ring-fenced funding is allocated by the Victim Support Funding Panel to Hampshire Victim Support to provide a specialist young witness support scheme in that area.
	We have also introduced Witness Care Units throughout England and Wales, which provide a single point of contact within the criminal justice system, once a charge has been made. Witness Care Units carry out a needs assessment to identify the information, emotional and practical needs of the witness, and in the case of a child witness, their parents or carers where appropriate. The Portsmouth Witness Care Unit has considerably enhanced the standard of service for witnesses in Hampshire, including child witnesses.
	Under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, we introduced special measures, such as screens and video links, to make the experience of giving evidence less difficult for children and other vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.
	We have also provided a Young Witness Pack and other resources, specifically for young witnesses, and are implementing a programme for improvement of facilities for young witnesses in court.

Witnesses: Young People

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a national system of support for young people involved in the criminal justice system as witnesses; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government are committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable members of our society, including young people, have access to justice.
	Young witnesses are already benefiting from a number of initiatives which we have introduced to increase the support and information available for victims and witnesses. These include the provision of an annual grant (currently £30 million) to Victim Support to provide services for victims and to run the Witness Service, which is available in every criminal court in England and Wales. £2 million of this funding is ring-fenced to provide enhanced services for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including children. We have also set up Witness Care Units across England and Wales, providing tailored support for witnesses once a charge is made, and have introduced Witness Liaison Officers in all criminal courts to act as a contact point for information for witnesses.
	We have introduced special measures, such as screens and video links, under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999, designed to make the experience of giving evidence in court less intimidating. Specific additional support for young witnesses includes the provision of a Young Witness Pack and other resources to all young witnesses and their parents or carers, as well as improved facilities for child witnesses in court. Some local areas have supplemented the national support services by setting up local specialist young witness support schemes. We are currently developing guidance for local areas on how to set up such schemes, promulgating good practice identified from existing models.

Work Permits

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits carrying an entitlement to settlement in the UK were issued to non-EU citizens in each year since 1992.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows how many work permits carrying a potential entitlement to settlement in the UK have been issued to non-EU citizens in each year since 2000. Work permit holders may only apply for settlement if they hold a work permit that leads to settlement and they remain in continuous employment in the UK for a minimum period of five years. The figures do not reflect the number of people granted settlement on the basis of work permit employment.
	The current work permit arrangements were introduced in 2000. We cannot provide figures prior to this date without incurring disproportionate costs. The figures quoted are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2000 58,806 
			 2001 79,277 
			 2002 83,906 
			 2003 83,553 
			 2004 92,274 
			 2005 100,122 
			 To 30 November 2006 107,216

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Ambassadors for British Business Scheme

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why the Ambassadors for British Business scheme was discontinued; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: In 2004 UK Trade and Investment undertook a trade services review whereby it evaluated all the services it offers UK businesses. It took the decision then to discontinue the formal Ambassadors for British Business scheme. At the time, only a handful of business leaders were still active in the scheme. We value the contribution made by senior business representatives in support of companies trading internationally. We continue to work extensively with them. We do so now by ensuring their time, skills and expertise are specifically targeted to clear trade and investment objectives.
	An example of the way we continue to use the expertise of British business leaders includes our work with Ellis Goodman CBE. Mr. Goodman through his foundation co-sponsors the US marketing scholarship programme with UKTI and British Airways. The programme pays for marketing directors from UK SMEs to attend a weeklong marketing course at the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago. The five-day course is followed by a one-week attachment to a US company where they can see how US companies market their goods first hand. The programme aims to ensure that UK SMEs understand the importance of effective marketing in the USA, enabling them to improve their business in the USA by developing a realistic marketing strategy.

British Sky Broadcasting: ITV Network

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will make a decision on whether to exercise discretion under section 42 of the Enterprise Act 2002 to issue a public interest intervention notice in relation to BSkyB's acquisition of 17.9 per cent. of ITV.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced his decision on this matter on 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 77WS.

Companies Act 2006

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultation he is planning with interested stakeholders on directors' reporting of social and environmental matters in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 27 February 2007
	The Government consulted widely in formulating the narrative reporting provisions in the Companies Act 2006 and they were the subject of extensive parliamentary debate during the passage of the Act.
	All companies, other than small companies, are required to produce a Business Review. The Companies Act 2006 introduces a new requirement for quoted companies—to the extent necessary for an understanding of the business—to report on environmental matters, the company's employees, social and community issues, and relationships with key suppliers. The new provisions in the Act will enhance the transparency of that reporting and make it easier for shareholders to hold the directors to account in all aspects, including social and environmental issues, of the company's performance.
	No further consultation is planned on these requirements but, as I said during the passage of the Act through Parliament, we will review the Business Reviews once they have been in operation for two years.

Consumers: Protection

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the UK objectives are in  (a) the development of consumer policy at EU level and  (b) the simplification of the regulatory framework of EU consumer protection law.

Ian McCartney: The UK supports the development of EU consumer policies that promote the benefits to consumers of competitive markets, innovation and cross-border shopping, together with effective protection, enforcement and redress.
	The UK objectives of the consumer protection law review are to secure real simplification of the consumer framework in line with Better Regulation principles, boosting consumer and business confidence in the Single Market and increasing consumer choice.

Dartington College of Art

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the statement of 7 February 2007,  Official Report, column 285WH, on regional development agencies, when the report on the future of Dartington College of Arts will be published.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 February 2007
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) have been working with Dartington College of Arts for some time to identify options for a sustainable future for the college. This work was triggered by the recognition by the college's governors that the conditions necessary for the college to stay on the estate were not being met. External consultants are currently undertaking an options appraisal and economic impact assessment for the college with some financial support from HEFCE and the South West RDA, to identify a viable way forward. The consultants are due to report to the college at the end of February and the study will be considered by the college's board of governors on 2 March. I understand the college intends to publish these reports shortly after the 2 March governors' meeting.

DBT Holdings

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss with DBT Holdings Limited the closure of Britannia Lift in Sheerness.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 1 March 2007
	In view of the fact that the office holders of Britannia Lift Limited will be reporting to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State under the provisions of the Company Directors Disqualification Act it would not be appropriate to meet with the directors of DBT Holdings Limited.

DBT Holdings

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss with the Home Office recent actions by directors of DBT Holdings.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 1 March 2007
	In view of the fact that the responsible insolvency practitioners of Britannia Lift Limited will be reporting to the Secretary of State under the provisions of the Company Directors Disqualification Act it would not be appropriate to meet with the Home Office.
	Please refer also to the related matter responded to in parliamentary questions numbers 124353 and 124355.

DBT Holdings

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will instigate an inspection of  (a) DBT Holdings and  (b) Britannia Lift, Sheerness.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 1 March 2007
	Britannia Lift Limited went into creditors' voluntary liquidation on 9 February 2007. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of DBT Holdings Ltd. which is owned by members of the Dougal Family.
	Limited companies are separate legal entities from those who own and manage them. Those who deal with such companies are not contractually engaged with the individual directors, who will be liable only if, for example, they have given personal guarantees. However, when a company fails, the insolvency law provides a variety of measures to deal with those who abuse the privileges of limited liability.
	When a company goes into administration, insolvent liquidation or administrative receivership, the responsible insolvency practitioner or official receiver has a duty under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State if he/she forms a view that the conduct of any of the directors makes them unfit to be concerned in the management of a company. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State then has a discretionary power to seek the director's disqualification, where he believes it to be in the public interest. In deciding whether or not there has been unfitness, all the circumstances of the case are taken into account including matters specifically referred to in Schedule 1 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. A disqualification can run for between two and fifteen years and contravention can result not only in criminal sanctions but also in the director becoming personally liable for the debts of any new company.
	If the hon. Member and/or his constituents have any reason to believe that the conduct of the directors of Britannia Lift Limited is such as to amount to justify the bringing of disqualification proceedings, they should make those concerns known to the liquidator so that he can take them into account when reporting to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

Debts: Zimbabwe

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on Zimbabwe's repayment of debt to the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Ian McCartney: Zimbabwe has been in default on ECGD-guaranteed contracts since 1998. Little has since been recovered, and nothing has been recovered since ECGD's 2002-03 financial year. ECGD's unrecovered claims currently amount to £105 million. Zimbabwe's arrears to official creditors are substantial and cannot be properly addressed in the continued absence of a funded IMF programme, which would be a prerequisite of any restructuring by the Paris Club Group of Official Creditors.

Departments: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what databases are controlled by his Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has several large corporate databases relating to finance, human resources and business records management. Data quality is an important factor and there are processes in place to ensure the currency of our data holdings. We include the use of automated and semi-automated checks to verify the accuracy and validity of data items. The Department is currently undergoing major structural change and it is recognised that the status of some items will alter significantly; as these changes occur our databases will be kept updated. It is estimated that data inaccuracy in the above mentioned repositories is less than 1 per cent.
	Chief Executives of the Department's agencies have been asked to write to the hon. Member in respect of their databases.
	 Letter from Jeff Llewellyn, dated 5 March 2007:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what databases are controlled by his Department and Its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.
	NWML operates two major databases (defining database as an organized body of over 1000 records of related information) and the percentage figures for accuracy and currency of the data is set out below:
	
		
			  Database  Percentage Accurate 
			 TRIM (Records Management) 100 
			 Goldmine (Customer contacts) 85 
		
	
	 Letter from Desmond Flynn, dated 5 March 2007:
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2006/1359), asking what databases are controlled by his Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.
	The Insolvency Service (The Service) controls the following databases that support its core activities:
	LOIS and The Central Index—These are The Service's principal case management databases.
	LOLA and BANCS—These databases handle the receipt and payment of monies in connection with insolvency cases.
	The Individual Insolvency Register—This database supports the online Individual Insolvency Register search facility, which is provided to the public from The Service's Internet website.
	BANCS Online—This database supports an online facility that enables Insolvency Practitioners to obtain electronic statements in relation to monies deposited in the Insolvency Services Account.
	I-Solv—This database supports The Service's online, insolvency forms processing service.
	CHIRPS—This is the case management database for The Service's Redundancy Payments Directorate.
	IBIS—This is the case management database for the Companies Investigation Branch.
	The Individual Insolvency Register, BANCS Online, I-Solv, CHIRPS and now IBIS are partly operated by external organisations on The Service's behalf (see The Service's response to PQ 2005/6162), and the remaining databases are operated and hosted by The Service.
	 Letter from Ron Marchant, dated 5 March 2007:
	Please see the following, from the Patent Office, in response to your recent parliamentary questions.
	Written PQ 2006/1359: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what databases are controlled by his Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.
	The Patent Office has a statutory duty to maintain registers of the intellectual property rights granted for patents, designs and trade marks. It is the responsibility of the rights holders to advise the Office of changes to these databases (e.g. names.& addresses, changes of ownership) by using the appropriate statutory forms. To that extent we believe that the databases are accurate and up to date
	 Letter from Tim Moss, dated 5 March 2007:
	I am responding to your recently tabled Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	While Companies House has numerous internal databases, only two are production databases used for the core business within the Companies Act of 1985.
	STEM is the current Companies Register and is updated in real time by both the data from paper forms submitted to Companies House and the data from our electronic services.
	PUBL is a copy of STEM that is used in conjunction with the image system to supply company information to users of Companies House Direct (CHD) and Webcheck. This system is updated from STEM at the end of each day and is therefore one day older than the source database STEM.
	The data on both databases is provided by our customers and accepted by Companies House in good faith. We do not validate that data so we have no estimate of the percentage that is inaccurate.
	The compliance rate for the receipt of documents is 95%, which means that 5% of data required to be provided by customers is either not up to date or is not filed by the due date.

Departments: Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what strategy he has put in place for  (a) the use of renewable energy and  (b) meeting energy targets in his Department's buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI is committed to the use of renewable energy and meeting the energy targets launched in June 2006. As a part of the strategy to achieve this commitment the Department purchases energy from green sources and has engaged with the Carbon Trust to carry out feasibility studies into localised micro-generation. It has bought electricity from green sources equating to 36 per cent. for the period 2005-06 of its HQ estate requirement compared to a target of 10 per cent. by 2008.
	The DTI is committed to the targets for energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions as set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development in Government. The strategy has been and continues to be to improve energy efficiency and carbon emission reduction.
	During the period 1990-2000 to 2004-05 the DTI have achieved a reduction in carbon emissions from 5.2 to 4.4 metric tonnes.
	Over the past two years the Department has reduced the size of its London HQ estate by over 30 per cent. with a corresponding reduction in all the associated environmental impacts. This has been achieved by making more efficient use of its existing accommodation and the adoption of flexible desking on the basis of eight workstations for every 10 staff. Other carbon reduction initiatives include the purchase of nearly a third of its electricity from renewable sources between 1999-2000 and 2004-05.
	The Department has also implemented or has planned a number of energy efficiency initiatives since the target was published. This includes a number of energy efficiency projects to improve lighting and environmental controls as well as occupant awareness. Energy efficiency is taken into account in any estate project undertaken and has included the introduction of energy minimising technology within the recent IT systems refresh.

Doorstep Selling

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 541-2W, on doorstep selling, what mechanisms he plans to use to protect vulnerable consumers through the implementation of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive; and if he will give additional powers to trading standards officers for that purpose.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 2 March 2007
	Regulations to be made later this year to implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive will prohibit traders from engaging in aggressive marketing and selling practices. A practice will be aggressive if, through the use of harassment, coercion or undue influence, it is likely to significantly impair the average consumer's freedom of choice and thereby cause him to take a transactional decision he would not have taken otherwise. Practices which would not be aggressive when assessed against the "average consumer" test can still be unfair to vulnerable (including elderly) consumers, if they are directed at those vulnerable consumers or will foreseeably affect them. This is because in these circumstances the effect of the practice will be assessed against the average member of that group.
	Use of aggressive commercial practices will be a criminal offence and the prohibition on such practices will also be enforceable by civil (injunctive) actions. Trading Standards Services (TSS) will be given enforcement powers similar to those currently existing in the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. The Government will consider whether additional enforcement powers should be given to the TSS when considering its response to the Macrory Review.

East of England Development Agency: Pay

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what benefits the Chief Executive of the East of England Development Agency will receive on leaving the post.

Margaret Hodge: The chief executive is resigning and will receive no benefits on vacating his post. He will retain the pension benefits that he has accrued during his employment with EEDA which will not be payable to him until such time as he retires in line with the EEDA occupational pension scheme retirement rules.

Foreign Investment in UK

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 20 countries provided the largest amounts of foreign direct investment into the UK in each year since 2000.

Ian McCartney: Information on the UK's 20 largest sources of foreign direct investment for each year since 2000 is shown in the following table. The table excludes countries for which data are disclosive.
	
		
			  Net foreign direct investment flows into the UK 2000-05 
			   £ million 
			  2000  
			 France 31,722 
			 USA 12,741 
			 Germany 10,564 
			 Japan 5,765 
			 Netherlands 4,629 
			 Canada 1,882 
			 Australia 1,440 
			 Switzerland 1,119 
			 Hong Kong 921 
			 Singapore 800 
			 Luxembourg 688 
			 Sweden 657 
			 Denmark 481 
			 Jersey 481 
			 Italy 469 
			 Republic of Ireland 384 
			 South Africa 378 
			 Netherlands Antilles 208 
			 Bermuda 205 
			 Austria 175 
			   
			  2001  
			 USA 15,025 
			 France 8,779 
			 Netherlands 4,256 
			 Italy 2,848 
			 Japan 2,572 
			 British Virgin Islands 784 
			 Republic of Ireland 755 
			 Bermuda 402 
			 Germany 279 
			 Spain 224 
			 Channel Islands 216 
			 Luxembourg 196 
			 Denmark 195 
			 Isle of Man 162 
			 Cayman Islands 146 
			 Jersey 143 
			 Australia 112 
			 Sweden 106 
			 Guernsey 101 
			 Singapore 78 
			   
			  2002  
			 Germany 11,340 
			 Japan 2,352 
			 Netherlands 1,756 
			 France 1,460 
			 Canada 562 
			 Sweden 493 
			 Spain 232 
			 Republic of Ireland 210 
			 Singapore 157 
			 Denmark 114 
			 Bermuda 69 
			 Hong Kong 63 
			 South Africa 63 
			 Cayman Islands 55 
			 Isle of Man 52 
			 New Zealand 18 
			 Australia 14 
			 Taiwan 12 
			 Greece 7 
			 Turkey 7 
			   
			  2003  
			 USA 2,676 
			 Netherlands 2,452 
			 Germany 1,437 
			 Switzerland 1,411 
			 British Virgin Islands 664 
			 Spain 518 
			 France 414 
			 Sweden 406 
			 Denmark 321 
			 Australia 309 
			 Bermuda 236 
			 Cayman Islands 221 
			 Belgium 218 
			 Republic of Ireland 206 
			 Iceland 155 
			 Hong Kong 63 
			 Channel Islands 51 
			 Greece 33 
			 Finland 26 
			 Liechtenstein 22 
			   
			  2004  
			 Germany 11,131 
			 Switzerland 3,488 
			 France 1,703 
			 Belgium 1,542 
			 Australia 1,412 
			 Italy 1,327 
			 Netherlands 1,226 
			 Republic of Ireland 936 
			 Cayman Islands 886 
			 Japan 817 
			 Canada 683 
			 Jersey 317 
			 Iceland 310 
			 Isle of Man 204 
			 South Korea 193 
			 Iran 97 
			 Finland 32 
			 Liechtenstein 18 
			 Singapore 14 
			 Greece 13 
			   
			  2005  
			 Netherlands 51,238 
			 USA 15,565 
			 France 9,634 
			 Switzerland 7,543 
			 Germany 6,802 
			 Spain 3,816 
			 Australia 3,429 
			 Canada 1,593 
			 Japan 1,547 
			 Republic of Ireland 1,031 
			 Norway 962 
			 Cayman Islands 791 
			 Iceland 679 
			 Guernsey 446 
			 Bermuda 445 
			 Sweden 394 
			 Hong-Kong 315 
			 Belgium 252 
			 Finland 252 
			 Austria 172 
			  Source: National Statistics

Nuclear Power

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the Mayor of London regarding the use of nuclear energy in the United Kingdom.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have held discussions with a variety of stakeholders on numerous issues since the publication of the Energy Review Report to inform the Energy White Paper. It is now likely that the White Paper will be published in early May. However, if it can be published before Easter, we will do so.

Radio: Plymouth

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate the level of activity of Radio UK Holdings Limited (Diamond FM) in Plymouth since receiving their licence.

Margaret Hodge: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Royal Mail

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will respond to the Royal Mail request in its recent report that the Secretary of State renegotiate the universal service obligations.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Royal Mail's licensed operations and the provision of the universal service fall under the direct scrutiny of Postcomm, the independent regulator.

Solar Power

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the merits of using concentrated solar power as an alternative energy source for the future; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have not made any assessment into using concentrated solar power to help the UK meet its long-term energy requirements. Using concentrated solar power would require the transfer of electricity generated from hotter climates to the UK. There have been early studies into this energy source
	www.dir.de/tt/trans-csp
	however, there are a number of technical challenges, which would need to be addressed. The economics, in particular the amounts of energy required to justify the investment in the High Voltage Direct Current link, needs more work. There would need to be a massive source of surplus electricity to make this worthwhile and considerable investment. The Government do not consider this technology a priority for further work.

UK Trade with EC

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the UK's trade balance with the EU was in each of the last three years.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 1 March 2007
	According to the ONS UK "Balance of Payments 'Pink Book 2006'", the UK's deficit with the EU25 in trade in goods and services was £28.3 billion, £30.5 billion and £37.9 billion in the three years 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Utilities: Fees and Charges

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent energy companies use estimated readings in generating customers' bills; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimated readings are widely used by gas and electricity suppliers, although that use varies between companies. Such readings reduce costs for suppliers and customers because they avoid the need for repeated visits to properties. On average, weighted by market shares, 88 per cent. of domestic electricity customers and 83 per cent. of domestic gas customers are billed on the basis of an actual read at least once a year.
	Ofgem expects suppliers' billing performance to improve further following a number of recent measures. These are the development of billing codes of practice by all major suppliers; the establishment of an ombudsman to resolve long-running billing complaints; and the restriction to one year of a supplier's right to claim money owed by a customer if the supplier's billing processes have been at fault.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Arc Manche Regional Assembly

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what public funding has been provided to the Arc Manche regional assembly from  (a) central Government and  (b) the EU Interreg programme.

Phil Woolas: None. There is no such organisation. Arc Manche is a voluntary network of French regions and English local authorities along the English channel. Its aims are to co-operate on themes of common interest and to reinforce the links between both sides of the channel. This network has no implications for regional structures, or either elected or non-elected regional assemblies.

Community Development: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was allocated to the single community programme in each year since 2000-01.

Angela Smith: The single community programme was introduced in 2004 and brought together three existing community engagement programmes which had been operating from 2001. Total funding for these programmes for each year from 2001-02 was as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 22,222,077 
			 2002-03 31,222,077 
			 2003-04 43,142,201 
			 2004-05 42,866,401 
			 2005-06 43,133,598 
		
	
	From the end of March 2006 the SCP, as planned, was merged into the stronger and safer communities fund.

Council Housing: Cannock Chase

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of social housing were available in the Cannock Chase district in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the last 12 months.

Yvette Cooper: The stock of social housing units in Cannock Chase district is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Units of social housing, Cannock Chase, as at 1 April 1997 and 2006 
			   Registered social landlords  Local authority  Total social stock 
			 1997 952 7,342 8,294 
			 2006 1,177 5,817 6,994 
			  Sources: Regulatory statistical return (RSR) from registered social landlords (RSL). Figures for 1997 are for self contained units only. Figures for 2006 also include bed spaces. Housing strategy statistical appendix (HSSA) as reported by local authorities.

Council Housing: Debts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2006,  Official Report, column 978W, on housing, whether her estimate of £12 billion took into account  (a) the higher costs of work undertaken by registered social landlords,  (b) that transfer prices assume a 30-year life of the asset and  (c) gap funding; why no allowance was made for the reduction in local authority homes since 2004-05; and why it was assumed that 100 per cent. of the cost of retained homes would have to be found from additional resources rather than existing council budgets.

Yvette Cooper: The higher cost of work undertaken by registered social landlords is the basis for the calculation. Social landlords business plans are based on 30 years which will help inform the investment decisions they make. The figures used in the calculation were based on actual investment by registered social landlords. When we did the calculation we took into account the anticipated reduction in local authority homes, including where a transfer ballot was pending or where a transfer scheme was included on the transfer programme. The calculation is the additional resources needed on top of what local authorities are already spending on the delivery of decent homes, this will include not only money from Government but also money from their own resources. .Where local authorities are able to find additional resources from their own budgets they often do so, which has helped many councils meet their decent homes target. However, many councils have made it clear that they cannot find additional resources from within their existing budgets.

Council Housing: Heating

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties are heated by district communal heating systems in each London borough; what the annual energy in kilowatt-hours needed to heat and provide hot water is in each such system; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Housing: Heating

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will estimate  (a) the number of properties in local council or housing association ownership covered by district heating schemes and  (b) the difference in energy use per inhabitant of properties covered by such schemes by comparison with other housing.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 300W.

Council Housing: Sales

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council houses were sold to sitting tenants in each year since 1976; and on what basis decisions are made to sell council houses to  (a) tenants and  (b) tenants of housing associations under the right to buy.

Yvette Cooper: The right-to-buy scheme was introduced in October 1980. The number of council homes sold to sitting tenants under the scheme in England is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Local authority housing stock sold under the right-to-buy scheme: England 
			   Number of sales 
			 1980-81 2,328 
			 1981-82 105,199 
			 1982-83 167,123 
			 1983-84 106,262 
			 1984-85 77,522 
			 1985-86 72,142 
			 1986-87 76,748 
			 1987-88 93,729 
			 1988-89 135,701 
			 1989-90 133,804 
			 1990-91 76,332 
			 1991-92 48,290 
			 1992-93 37,686 
			 1993-94 44,678 
			 1994-95 43,336 
			 1995-96 31,512 
			 1996-97 33,206 
			 1997-98 41,329 
			 1998-99 40,272 
			 1999-2000 54,251 
			 2000-01 52,380 
			 2001-02 51,968 
			 2002-03 63,394 
			 2003-04 69,577 
			 2004-05 49,983 
			 2005-06 26,655 
			 Total 1,735,407 
			  Notes:  1. Data includes estimates for non-responding authorities. 2. Information on other sales to sitting tenants (eg, under the voluntary powers in section 32 of the Housing Act 1985) is not readily available.  Source:  Statistical returns from local authorities. 
		
	
	Under Part 5 of the Housing Act 1985, secure tenants of local authority landlords, and tenants of housing associations who held secure tenancies with those associations prior to 1988, have the right to buy the home they rent. A tenant who held a secure tenancy with a local authority, and subsequently became an assured tenant of a housing association following transfer of their home to the association with the authority's housing stock, has a "preserved right to buy".
	Local authorities and housing associations must sell properties to such tenants if they have been public sector tenants for at least five years before applying for the right to buy (two years if their tenancies began prior to 18 January 2005), unless:
	the tenant is an undischarged bankrupt;
	the property is exempt from the right to buy: ie, (i) it is let in connection with the tenant's employment; (ii) it is particularly suitable for occupation by elderly or physically or mentally disabled people; (iii) it is due to be demolished, or (iv) the landlord has an insufficient interest in it - ie, is unable to grant a lease of at least 21 years on a house or 50 years on a flat.

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people are on housing waiting lists in England.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 178W to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) post-capping and  (b) pre-capping average rate in pence of band D council tax was in each year in England since 1997-98.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Council tax in England: band D, two adults for area 
			   Pre-capping  Post-capping (£) 
			 1997-98(1,2) — 688.00 
			 1998-99(1,2) — 747.00 
			 1999-2000(2,3) — 798.00 
			 2000-01(2,3) — 847.00 
			 2001 -02 2'3 — 901.00 
			 2002-03(2,3) — 976.00 
			 2003-04(3) — 1,101.75 
			 2004-05 1,166.75 1,166.58 
			 2005-06 1,214.06 1,213.81 
			 2006-07(3) — 1,267.91 
			 (1) Pre-capping figures for 1998-98 and 1998-99 are not available. (2) Figures prior to 2003-04 are only available to the nearest pound. (3) No in-year capping took place.  Source: BR and CTB1 returns

Council Tax Revaluation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps  (a) the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister,  (b) her Department and  (c) the Valuation Office Agency has undertaken since 2003 to amend the collation of local authority planning information used for the assessment of residential development.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Communities and Local Government and the Valuation Office Agency have not amended the collation of local authority planning information used for the assessment of residential development since 2003.

Departments: Appeals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many independent bodies existed to hear appeals on decisions made by her Department and its Executive Agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02 and  (c) 2005-06; and how many there have been in 2006-07 to date.

Angela Smith: The following independent bodies hear appeals on decisions made by Communities and Local Government or its predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister:
	The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
	The Office of the Information Commissioner
	The Information Tribunal

Departments: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints were received by her Department and its executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02 and  (c) 2005-06; and how many have been received in 2006-07 to date.

Angela Smith: In Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, nine complaints were received in 2005-06 and four have been received to date in 2006-07. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was set up in May 2002 and comparable information for 1997-98 and 2001-02 is therefore not available.
	The numbers of complaints received by the Department's executive agencies was as follows:
	The planning inspectorate received 1,743 complaints in 1997-98, 2,584 in 2001-02, 2,793 in 2005-06 and 1,982 to date in 2006-07;
	The Fire Service College received 40 complaints in 2001-02, 35 in 2005-06 and 27 to date in 2006-07 (data are not held for 1997-98); and
	The Queen Elizabeth II conference centre received one complaint in 2005-06, and a further one to date in 2006-07 (data are not available for the earlier years).

Departments: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff worked in dedicated complaints units in her Department and its executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02 and  (c) 2005-06; and how many there have been in 2006-07 to date.

Angela Smith: Communities and Local Government, and its predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister employed one member of staff as a dedicated complaints officer in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Communities and Local Government's forerunner, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was set up in May 2002 and the comparable information for 1997-98 and 2001-02 is therefore not available.
	Of the Department's Executive Agencies, the planning inspectorate had eight members of staff working as dedicated complaints officers in 1997-98, nine in 2001-02 and 10 in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Neither the Fire Service college nor the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre have had dedicated complaints staff over the period in question.

Departments: Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what databases are controlled by her Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database she estimates is inaccurate or out of date.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its agencies maintain a range of data sets to support policy and delivery activities. These data are regularly updated and have quality assurance procedures appropriate to their use. To put an estimate on the proportion of the data held that are inaccurate or out of date could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

Angela Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Redcar (Vera Baird) on 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 865W.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) her Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its main predecessor (the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) did not run any early exit schemes during the years 2002-03 to 2004-05. In 2005-06, the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister ran a voluntary exit scheme for the central Department and its staff in the Government offices for the regions to enable us to reduce our headcount.
	In the current year (2006-07) Communities and Local Government has been running a voluntary exit scheme for central Department staff, and there was a small involuntary scheme covering the few staff for which the Department was unable to identify alternative employment following the closure of the emergency fire service facility at Marchington in Staffordshire. In addition, the Government offices for the regions have run a scheme for staff in the GOs as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the GO review. This scheme has been funded from contributions provided, by the sponsor Departments (including Communities) for the GO network.
	For 2007-08, the Government offices plan a further exit scheme. No decision has yet been taken on whether there should be a further scheme for the central Department.
	Neither the planning inspectorate nor the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (trading fund) have run any early exit schemes since 1997-98, and none are currently planned for 2007-08. The Fire Service college has been running its first (voluntary) exit scheme during 2006-07. Again, no scheme is currently planned for 2007-08.
	The costs of all these schemes are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Department/agency/other  Total first year payments  under scheme( 1)  Forecast total future years' payments under scheme( 2) 
			 2005-06 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: voluntary scheme 2.6 1.1 
			 2006-07(3) Communities and Local Government: voluntary scheme 12.2 7.8 
			 2006-07(3) Government Offices for the Regions: voluntary scheme 12.5 6.0 
			 2006-07 Communities and Local Government—Marchington: involuntary scheme 0.3 0.1 
			 2006-07(3) Fire Service College: voluntary scheme 0.6 0 
			 2007-08(4) Government Offices for the Regions: voluntary scheme 8.0 (5)— 
			 (1) This comprises one-off payments to staff under the age of 50, and the first year costs of staff over 50 years of age who leave on early retirement terms. (2) Expenditure to be incurred under the scheme in reimbursing the principal civil service pension scheme (PCSPS) for the costs of pension payments to early retirees until they reach age 60. (3) Forecast. (4) Plan. (5) Subject to scheme take up.

Derelict Land

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has plans to change the definition of brownfield land.

Yvette Cooper: No. We published new Planning Policy Statement 3: "Housing" last November and this includes the up-to-date definition. PPS3 gives local authorities greater flexibility to decide what kinds of land are most appropriate for development in their area.

Electronic Government: Public Participation

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she made of the potential effect on Government of using internet weblogs to engage with citizens.

Angela Smith: The Department has assessed the benefits of blogs and other innovative online deliberative tools through our active participation in the digital dialogues project, conducted by the Hansard society on behalf of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	The purpose of the project is to test central Government's use of tools such as webchats, forums and weblogs to re-engage with the public and encourage interactive ongoing dialogue.
	The interim report of digital dialogues contains three case studies from the Department, including the launch of David Miliband's blog at our predecessor department, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. To view the report, visit
	www.digitaldialogues.org.uk/interimreport.

Empty Properties: Greater London

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of long-term empty homes in  (a) the London borough of Merton,  (b) south-west London and  (c) London in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: A table showing the number of long term empty dwellings by tenure for each borough in London since 2002 has been placed in the Library of the House.
	Figures for the private and local authority tenures are presented for those dwellings empty for more than six months as reported by local authorities. Figures for registered social landlord vacancies are based on numbers of vacancies not available for rent as a proxy for long-term vacancies.
	Communities and Local Government do not define an area for south-west London so figures have been provided for each London borough.

Fire Services: Cornwall

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the adequacy of fire service cover in Cornwall; what discussions she has had with the Fire Brigades Union on this matter; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Fire and rescue authorities are required by the fire and rescue service national framework to have in place and maintain an integrated risk management plan, which reflects local need and sets out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities. The IRMP enables the authority to tailor cover to fire and other incidents to local circumstancesevaluating where risk is greatest and allocating resource accordingly.
	It is not the role of Ministers to intervene in the operational proposals of an authority's IRMP. That is for elected members of the authority concerned to determine following full consultation with the local community The local authority is best placed to act on the professional advice of principal officers and to balance the competing local demands on available resources for the benefits of the communities that it serves.

Gambling

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to amend planning  (a) regulations,  (b) guidance and  (c) circulars in relation to (i) casinos and (ii) gambling.

Yvette Cooper: We have no plans to change the national planning policy framework for casinos.
	Statutory instrument 2006 No. 220 came into force in April 2006 and amends the use classes order to remove casinos from the D2 assembly and leisure use class. The effect is that planning permission is required for any changes from existing land uses for use as a casino.
	The draft Mayor of London order provides for the Mayor to be referred any future planning applications for large or regional scale casinos because of their strategic implications for London. This order will be subject to widespread consultation.
	This does not affect the regulation of casinos and other gambling premises, which is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with the Local Government Association concerning fee setting and access to property information in the context of home information packs; whether areas of disagreement remain; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Officials have met on a regular basis with Local Government Association representatives to discuss the implementation of the Office of Fair Trading's report Property SearchesA Market Survey, which made recommendations on fee setting and access to property information. Discussions with the LGA and other stakeholders on these issues will continue through the conveyancing and property searches working group, on which the LGA is represented. I have also met with LGA representatives to discuss progress in the context of home information packs. The LGA and my Department are working closely on the next steps.

Home Information Packs: Fees and Charges

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of local authority charges for their searches in relation to the implementation of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of Fair Trading's 2005 study into the market for property searches found that local authorities charge between 59 and 269 for their searches. It is difficult to see how such a large variation can be justified. We are therefore commissioning independent experts to produce fresh guidance on the setting of charges in this area.
	The findings from the OFT market study were used by the department to inform the home information packs regulatory impact assessment published in June 2006. This is currently being revised.

Homebuy Scheme

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 286-87W, on the homebuy scheme, 
	(1)  how many Government equity loans provided as part of the open market homebuy scheme have been allocated to individuals;
	(2)  what estimate her Department has made of the total value of the private sector equity loans.

Yvette Cooper: From 1 April 2006 to 31 January 2007 the open market homebuy scheme has provided 1,858 individual Government equity loans, at a total value of 79 million.
	On 2 October 2006, this scheme was developed in partnership with four lenders, enabling us to double the number of households helped with Government grant. There have already been at least 109 completions through the expanded scheme, and a further 6,000 purchasers have been accepted as eligible for the scheme.

Homelessness

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of A2 and A8 migration on  (a) homelessness and  (b) measures to tackle homelessness in the UK.

Yvette Cooper: Statistics about English local housing authorities' activity under the homelessness legislation are collected and published quarterly. Between May 2004 and September 2006, 615 housing applicants who were nationals of one of the eight eastern European countries that acceded to the EU on 1 May 2004 were accepted as eligible, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty by local housing authorities in England. This comprises 0.25 per cent. of the total number of applicants accepted over the 29 month period.
	The first set of data covering the period since the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU will be quarter 1 (JanuaryMarch) 2007, which will be available in June.
	Communities and Local Government and the Home Office have given 497,000 to date to central London local authorities to support their work with the small number of people from the accession states who end up sleeping rough on the streets. The Home Office recently announced further funding of 107,000 in 2007-08 for Westminster city council.

Homelessness: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of homeless people in  (a) England,  (b) Greater London,  (c) the London borough of Havering and  (d) Romford constituency.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households, rather than persons, and at local authority rather than constituency level.
	This is summarised in a quarterly statistical release on statutory homelessness, the latest of which was published by Communities and Local Government on 11 December. It is available on our website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882PressNoticeID=2309
	and also in the Library.
	Table 3 shows the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need (and therefore owed a main homelessness duty), for both England and London. Table 7 shows the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged under homelessness legislation, again for both England and London.
	The supplementary table presents this key information at local authority level, and includes the London borough of Havering. Data is not available at constituency level, but the constituency of Romford falls entirely within Havering.
	The duty owed to a person accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Information is also collected separately by the Department on the number of people who sleep rough, that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. This information is presented at local authority (rather than constituency) level on our website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l150131

Homelessness: Migrants

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether figures on homelessness provided by local authorities to her Department take into account the number of migrants not entitled to benefits residing in their areas.

Yvette Cooper: Information about English local housing authorities' activity under the homelessness legislation is collected by this Department. These data do not include information about entitlement to social security benefits, for which the Department for Work and Pensions has policy responsibility.
	Rough sleeping counts and data on the number of applications for homelessness assistance (including those by ineligible households) include migrants who are not entitled to benefits. Figures on the number of households who are accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty will reflect the fact that migrants who are not entitled to benefits may also not be entitled to homelessness assistance.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government further to her answer of 7 November 2006,  Official Report, column 978W, on housing, how much extra investment per dwelling is required to give local authorities the same level of investment per dwelling as under stock transfer; and by how much this sum is greater than if the local authority brought the houses up to decent homes standard.

Yvette Cooper: The rough estimates of the average levels of expenditure per property over a five year period is for local authorities owning and managing stock is 5,000 and for registered social landlords owning and managing transferred stock is 15,000. Therefore, those retaining management and ownership would require arid extra 10,000 per home to match the level of expenditure of stock transfer RSLs. The difference reflects the scope and scale of work being done under each programme as some stocktransfer RSL's are raising standards higher than the decent homes standard.

Housing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total stock of affordable housing was in  (a) rural and  (b) non-rural areas in each year since 1980; what each figure represents (i) per 1,000 population and (ii) per 1,000 households; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of social rent homes managed by local authorities and registered social landlords are tabulated as follows by urban and rural local authorities:
	
		
			  Social rented housing stock (local authority and registered social landlord stock) by urban and rural local authorities( 1,2) 
			   1981  1986  1991  1996  2001  2006( 3) 
			  Total number of social rented units   
			 Rural 1,435,348 1,294,545 1,180,653 1,167,726 1,117,245 1,072,219 
			 Urban 3,704,290 3,609,175 3,333,743 3,284,502 3,119,067 2,907,217 
			 Total 5,139,638 4,903,720 4,514,396 4,452,228 4,236,312 3,979,436 
			
			  Number of social rented units per 1,000 households( 4)   
			 Rural 243 205 174 164 150 137 
			 Urban 324 306 270 261 239 214 
			 Total 296 271 236 226 207 186 
			
			  Number of social rented units per 1,000 population( 4)   
			 Rural 89 78 69 67 63 58 
			 Urban 121 118 108 106 99 91 
			 Total 110 104 94 92 86 79 
			 (1) Based on the DEFRA Rural Definition (2004) (2) Local authority stock is taken from the HSSA 1981 to 1996RSL stock is taken from the HSSA. 2001 and 2006RSL stock is taken from the RSR. (3) 2006 RSL stock includes self contained units and bed spaces. (4) Communities and Local Government (formerly ODPM) 2003 based Household/Population Projections and Estimates.  Source: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and the Regulatory Statistical Return(RSR) 
		
	
	Homes for social rent make up only part of the housing stock classified as affordable; the remainder is provided through low-cost home ownership or other sub-market rental products. Between 1 April 1991 and 31 March 2006 43,500 affordable homes were provided in rural areas and 123,000 in urban areas in addition to the social rent dwellings presented in the aforementioned table.

Housing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of eligible people have participated in key worker affordable housing schemes in each year since 2001, broken down by  (a) region and  (b) homes that are in (i) rural and (ii) non-rural areas; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: In recent years the Government have funded a number of schemes to offer specific housing assistance to key workers in areas experiencing problems of recruitment and retention difficulties: from April 2001 to March 2006, over 23,000 homes for key workers have been provided through the starter home initiative and key worker living programmes. These include both new homes and provision of equity loans to support purchase of homes on the open market. SHI ran from 2001-04 and was replaced by KWL in April 2004. KWL only operates in the south- east, London and the east of England.
	We do not have data on how many key workers might be eligible for the programme so we do not know what proportion of eligible people have participated. The numbers of key workers that received help from key worker housing initiatives in each year since 2001 are provided in the following tables. These tables do not include second key workers helped within a household.
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  Total 
			  East
			 Key workers helped through new build 4 29 72 36 49 164 354 
			 Key workers helped through equity loans 0 118 414 358 818 354 2,062 
			 
			  London
			 Key workers helped through new build 0 0 41 131 372 408 952 
			 Key workers helped through equity loans 13 1,373 2,596 2,039 2,465 1,456 9,942 
			 
			  South East
			 Key workers helped through new build 0 16 148 398 652 935 2,149 
			 Key workers helped through equity loans 68 877 2,205 1,091 1,687 924 6,852 
			 
			  South West
			 Key workers helped through new build 0 20 14 0. 0 0 34 
			 Key workers helped through equity loans 5 97 281 25 0 0 408 
			 
			  West Midlands
			 Key workers helped through new build 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Key workers helped through equity loans 0 5 121 0 0 0 126 
		
	
	We do not collect data on the numbers of homes purchased in rural areas with the assistance of an equity loan. However, we do know the numbers of key workers helped through our new build schemes in rural areas. These are given in the following table. These numbers are small because demand for key worker housing tends to be in urban areas where the majority of employer organisations are located. However, from April 2006 regional housing boards have been able to prioritise groups for assistance under our other low cost home ownership schemes.
	
		
			   East  South East  Total 
			 2001 0 0 0 
			 2001 0 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 0 
			 2004 0 2 2 
			 2005 19 3 22 
			 2006 5 4 9 
			 Total 24 9 33

Housing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were purchased under the right to buy scheme in  (a) rural and  (b) non-rural areas in each year from 1980 until 1997; what each figure represents (i) per 1,000 population and (ii) per 1,000 households; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of council properties sold through the right to buy scheme in England are tabulated as follows by urban and rural local authority areas. These figures have also been expressed per 1,000 population and 1,000 households.
	
		
			  Right to buy sales by urban and rural local authority areas( 1) , England 
			   1980-81  1981-82  1982-83  1983-84  1984-85  1985-86  1986-87 
			  Right to buy sales
			 Urban 1,442 64,049 114,272 70,608 49,710 46,792 48,696 
			 Rural 886 41,150 52,851 35,654 27,812 25,350 28,052 
			 Total 2,328 105,199 167,123 106,262 77,522 72,142 76,748 
			 
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 population( 2)
			 Urban 0.047 2.096 3.741 2.312 1.626 1.531 1.594 
			 Rural 0.055 2.538 3.250 2.178 1.687 1.526 1.675 
			 Total 0.050 2.249 3.570 2.265 1.647 1.529 1.623 
			 
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 households( 2)
			 Urban 0.13 5.58 9.90 6.08 4.25 3.97 4.10 
			 Rural 0.15 6.88 8.74 5.80 4.46 3.99 4.35 
			 Total 0.13 6.03 9.50 5.98 4.32 3.98 4.19 
		
	
	
		
			   1987-88  1988-89  1989-90  1990-91  1991-92  1992-93 
			  Right to buy sales   
			 Urban 60,929 91,287 101,483 60,341 36,033 26,225 
			 Rural 32,800 44,414 32,321 15,991 12,257 11,461 
			 Total 93,729 135,701 133,804 76,332 48,290 37,686 
			
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 population( 2)   
			 Urban 1.996 2.983 3.307 1.960 1.170 0.850 
			 Rural 1.943 2.621 1.900 0.936 0.714 0.666 
			 Total 1.977 2.854 2.805 1.594 1.007 0.784 
			
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 households( 2)   
			  5.08 7.53 8.29 4.88 2.90 2.10 
			  4.99 6.67 4.80 2.35 1.78 1.66 
			  5.05 7.23 7.05 3.98 2.50 1.94 
		
	
	
		
			   1993-94  1994-95  1995-96  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000 
			  Right to buy sales
			 Urban 28,607 27,658 21,055 21,974 28,506 28,854 38,998 
			 Rural 16,071 15,678 10,457 11,232 12,823 11,418 15,253 
			 Total 44,678 43,336 31,512 33,206 41,329 40,272 54,251 
			 
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 population( 2)
			 Urban 0.927 0.895 0.681 0.710 0.920 0.929 1.253 
			 Rural 0.928 0.901 0.598 0.639 0.726 0.643 0.854 
			 Total 0.928 0.897 0.651 0.684 0.849 0.825 1.107 
			 
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 households( 2)
			 Urban 2.29 2.20 1.67 1.74 2.25 2.26 3.04 
			 Rural 2.30 2.22 1.47 1.56 1.77 1.56 2.06 
			 Total 2.29 2.21 1.60 1.68 2.07 2.01 2.68 
		
	
	
		
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Right to buy sales   
			 Urban 39,545 39,516 48,801 55,632 40,994 21,463 
			 Rural 12,835 12,452 14,593 13,945 8,989 5,191 
			 Total 52,380 51,968 63,394 69,577 49,983 26,654 
			
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 population( 2)   
			 Urban 1.256 1.251 1.542 1.752 1.288 0.672 
			 Rural 0.715 0.689 0.802 0.761 0.488 0.280 
			 Total 1.059 1.047 1.272 1.389 0.994 0.528 
			
			  Right to buy sales per 1,000 households( 2)   
			 Urban 3.03 3.00 3.68 4.17 3.04 1.58 
			 Rural 1.72 1.65 1.91 1.81 1.15 0.66 
			 Total 2.55 2.51 3.03 3.30 2.35 1.24 
			 (1) Based on the Defra Rural Definition (2004).  (2) Communities and Local Government 2003 based household and population estimates.   Source:  Statistical returns from local authorities.

Housing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has commissioned into tenant satisfaction with the choice-based lettings schemes; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has not commissioned research into tenant satisfaction with choice-based lettings schemes (which would have used a quantitative survey approach).
	However, the British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) has carried out two qualitative studies for the Department into applicants' perspectives of choice based lettings:
	(i) as part of the evaluation of the Government-funded CBL pilot programme (which ran from 2001-2003). Applicants' perspectives on Choice-Based Lettings was published in May 2004 and is available on the CLG website at www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1153279
	(ii) as part of a research project looking into the longer term impact of choice based lettings. The BMRB study looked at applicants' experience and views of choice based lettings in general, and the impact on community cohesion in particular. Monitoring the Longer Term Impact of Choice Based Lettings, which presents the findings of the BMRB study, together with the study carried out by Heriot Watt University that focuses mainly on social landlords, was published in October 2006 and is available on the CLG website at www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1503598
	Overall, the longer-term research reveals a number of positive outcomes attributable to choice based lettings: improved tenancy sustainment; good outcomes for homeless households; a tendency for choice based lettings to result in more dispersed, rather than concentrated; lettings to ethnic minority households; and a tendency to speed up the re-letting of empty properties.

Housing: Climate Change

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will publish the report required by section 14 of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 explaining the steps that have been taken to secure greater compliance with the provisions of building regulations for the purpose of  (a) furthering the conservation of fuel and power and  (b) reducing emissions of greenhouses gases.

Angela Smith: The report due under section 14 of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 was laid in Parliament on 21 February 2007 and is published on the Department's website. It was laid in the Library of the House in conjunction with the report due under section 6 of the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 under the title 'Monitoring the Sustainability of Buildings'.

Housing: Energy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to increase the number of private landlords introducing energy efficiency schemes.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have put systems and incentives in place to increase energy efficiency in the private rented sector. The landlords energy saving allowance provides tax allowances for landlords who implement energy efficiency measures in their rented properties. The energy efficiency commitment and Warm Front schemes also encourage private landlords to take up energy efficiency measures.
	When they are introduced, energy performance certificates will also provide landlords with information on what measures that they can take to raise the energy performance of their properties and the carbon emissions that they will save.

Housing: Energy

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1W, on energy performance certificates, whether she expects their cost to vary according to the size of a domestic property.

Yvette Cooper: The price of energy performance certificates will be set by the market and not by Government. This is likely to vary according to a number of factors, including the size of a domestic property, as this will affect the amount of time taken on site to carry out an assessment.

Housing: Energy

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on  (a) energy efficiency and  (b) carbon emissions of using electric heating twinned with microgeneration in new building developments.

Angela Smith: The regulatory impact assessment accompanying the changes to part L of the Building Regulations that came into operation in April 2006 contained assessments of the energy efficiency that would be required by electric heating systems in general to achieve the new standards. No assessment was made of the impact of twinning electric heating with microgeneration but builders are able to choose this approach and my Department has published guidance to help in this.

Housing: Energy

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she is giving to electric heating as part of requirements to reduce the carbon footprint of new buildings.

Angela Smith: We are consulting on further amending the building regulations energy efficiency requirements in 2010, 2013 and 2016 moving towards our goal of net zero annual carbon emissions from new buildings. Detailed proposals will need to be prepared before any change can be made and in the normal way the electric heating industry and other stakeholders will be consulted before final decisions are made.

Housing: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of affordable homes were built as a result of section 106 planning agreements in  (a) England,  (b) Hampshire and  (c) each (i) district, (ii) borough and (iii) unitary authority in Hampshire in each year since 2003.

Yvette Cooper: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Affordable homes provided: Hampshire 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  Proportion of affordable homes( 1) 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 459 269 252 68 
			 East Hampshire 256 131 86 47 
			 Eastleigh 177 260 75 75 
			 Fareham 31 63 8 71 
			 Gosport 75 118 76 83 
			 Hart 142 230 132 75 
			 Havant 96 27 142 9 
			 New Forest 119 76 145 78 
			 Portsmouth 65 130 304 100 
			 Rushmoor 197 130 234 28 
			 Southampton 257 301 301 57 
			 Test Valley 50 92 69 76 
			 Winchester 188 487 536 20 
			 England 37,064 36,000 44,861 48 
			 (1 )Proportion of affordable homes delivered which incorporated a contribution through an agreement under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.  Notes: 'Affordable home' includes social rent, low-cost home ownership and other sub-market rental products.  Source:  Housing Corporation, statistical returns from local authorities.

Housing: Harlow

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates in the last 12 months she met the Minister of Housing and Planning to discuss policy on the Harlow sub-regional growth area.

Angela Smith: The Secretary of State has not met the Minister for Housing and Planning to discuss policy on the Harrow sub-regional growth area.

Housing: Low Incomes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of using community land trusts to increase access to property ownership by lower-income householders.

Yvette Cooper: Community land trusts are an interesting and promising new option for delivering affordable housing and we are keen to explore whether they will allow for more households on lower incomes to access and sustain home ownership.
	The Housing Corporation and English Partnerships are working with a number of potential Community land trust schemes with the aim of establishing some viable pilots. The Housing Corporation is currently appraising several specific schemes and expect some of those to be up and running later this year. These will help us to test different mechanisms and decide which approaches provide the greatest advantages for lower income households.

Housing: Low Incomes

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about expenditure on affordable housing in the next comprehensive spending review.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 27 February 2007
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has had and will continue to have wide ranging and regular discussions with the Chancellor and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury about preparations for the 2007 comprehensive spending review.

Housing: Low Incomes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people from  (a) the London borough of Havering and  (b) Romford constituency are taking part in the key worker living programme.

Yvette Cooper: Since its launch in 2004, we have helped 142 key workers into a home in the London borough of Havering under the key worker living programme. The aim of the key worker living scheme is to help front-line public-sector workers live within reasonable travelling distance of their place of work: the Housing Corporation does not collect data on where beneficiaries previously lived, but does collect data on where they purchase properties. Figures are collected at local authority level and are not available on a constituency basis.

Housing: North East Region

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the north-east regional capital allocation in private- sector housing stock improvement and regeneration has been reduced; what representations she has received on this reduction; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 2 March 2007
	The north-east regional capital allocation for private-sector housing stock improvement and regeneration was reduced to reflect a shortfall in anticipated funding drawn from right-to-buy receipts. Even after the reduction, the north-east share of the regional housing pot represents an increase of 2 per cent. in comparison with 2006-07.
	All regions, except the north-west (which did not receive a year-on-year increase in its regional housing pot allocations for 2006-07 and 2007-08) have had their allocation reduced by comparable amounts. The regional assemblies were informed of the reduced allocations in November 2006. The one representation received on the reductions was a letter from the North East assembly dated 19 February 2007.

Housing: Standards

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of achieving her target for rented housing to be brought in line with decent homes standards.

Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1521W, which provides information on the cost of council housing.
	The decent homes target also includes reducing the number of vulnerable households living in non-decent homes in the private sector. As private landlords will determine what work they want to undertake and to what standard it is completed, we do not provide estimates of the costs of achieving the target for the private rented sector.

Housing: Standards

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the progress being made in bringing 70 per cent. of private rented sector housing up to the decent homes standard by 2010.

Yvette Cooper: Good progress is being made. Of the 3.2 million vulnerable households living in the private sector in 2005, 66 per cent. (2.1 million) live in decent homes, according to the English house condition survey 2005). This percentage has increased from 57 per cent. in 2001 and 43 per cent. in 1996.

Housing: Standards

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the  (a) impact,  (b) quality and  (c) delivery of works undertaken to meet the decent homes target will be (i) monitored and (ii) evaluated.

Yvette Cooper: On 21 February the Department published a research report entitled Decent Homes in the Social Sector (www.communities.gov.uk/housing). The research was undertaken by the Building Research Establishment to help improve our understanding of what work local authorities and registered social landlords are doing to make homes decent and the impact of such work. We also monitor the progress of delivery of decent homes through the English house condition survey and the statistical returns made by social landlords.

Housing: Standards

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many vulnerable households were living in non-decent homes in  (a) 1996,  (b) 2001,  (c) 2004 and  (d) the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by tenure.

Yvette Cooper: The following table, from the English house condition survey, provides a breakdown of vulnerable households by decent and non-decent homes and by tenure. Vulnerable households are defined as those in receipt of principal means tested and disability related benefits, as listed in A Decent Home: Definition and guidance for implementationJune 2006 update.
	
		
			  Vulnerable households in non-decent homes by tenure, 1996 to 2005 
			  Number (Thousand) 
			   Owner occupied  Private rented  All private  All social 
			  1996 
			 Decent 880 196 1,076 1,487 
			 Non-decent 929 504 1,433 1,648 
			  2001 
			 Decent 1,285 256 1,542 1,815 
			 Non-decent 784 366 1,151 1,098 
			  2003 
			 Decent 1,506 277 1,783 1,874 
			 Non-decent 722 335 1,056 978 
			  2004 
			 Decent 1,617 347 1,963 1,966 
			 Non-decent 691 342 1,033 852 
			  2005 
			 Decent 1,697 387 2,084 2,037 
			 Non-decent 709 362 1,071 786 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Owner occupied  Private rented  All private  All social 
			  1996 
			 Decent 48.6 28.0 42.9 47.4 
			 Non-decent 51.4 72.0 57.1 52.6 
			  2001 
			 Decent 62.1 41.2 57.3 62.3 
			 Non-decent 37.9 58.8 42.7 37.7 
			  2003 
			 Decent 67.6 45.3 62.8 65.7 
			 Non-decent 32.4 54.7 37.2 34.3 
			  2004 
			 Decent 70.1 50.3 65.5 69.8 
			 Non-decent 29.9 49.7 34.5 30.2 
			  2005 
			 Decent 70.5 51.7 66.1 72.2 
			 Non-decent 29.5 48.3 33.9 27.8 
			  Note:  The net increase in private sector vulnerable households living in non-decent homes means that, while the proportion has continued to show good progress, the number (and therefore overall costs to tackle the problems) have made only modest improvement since 2001.   Source:  English House Condition Survey, Communities and Local Government.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects the technical guidance on how to comply with the code for sustainable homes to be published.

Yvette Cooper: We are aiming to publish the technical guidance on how to comply with the code for sustainable homes in April 2007.
	The guidance is mainly aimed at code assessors and building designers; it will give guidance as to what evidence is required to achieve code standards.

Housing: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in Warrington, North have been included in the Government's decent homes scheme.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 27 February 2007
	We do not hold figures by parliamentary constituency but by local authority. In Warrington, there are 8,954 homes owned by the unitary authority and 3,812 by registered social landlords. All these homes are included in the decent homes programme and at present 2,017 council homes and 96 RSL homes are still below the decent homes standard.
	The decent homes programme also covers non- decent homes in the private sector occupied by vulnerable households, but we do not hold these data at the local authority level.

Local Authorities: Fees and Charges

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the Office of Fair Trading's options for pricing access to local authority search information.

Yvette Cooper: The Government accepted the recommendations in the OFT's report, Property SearchesA Market Study, in a response published in December 2005. The study provided two options for the pricing access to local authority (LA):
	(a) that central Government set uniform fees (this could be at a price that reflects the costs of an efficient LA or an average LA or alternatively the fee could be set at zero); or
	(b) that LAs set their own fees at a level that covers their costs.
	The Government's response stated that they favoured the option of allowing LAs to set their own fees but wanted to ensure it was a valid option before any final decision. This decision would be informed through the collection and analysis of detailed information on all the elements that make up a property search. The consultation paper, HIP Update: Toward 1 June, published on 25 January, announced that we will seek tenders for the production of a final charging methodology and guidance by independent experts to give a clear basis for taking that decision.

Local Authorities: Leisure

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advice her Department gives to local authorities on planning for sport and active recreation.

Yvette Cooper: Planning policies for sport and active recreation are primarily set out in planning policy guidance note 17, Planning for Open Space Sport and Recreation. It contains planning policies and advice on the protection of existing sports and recreational facilities from development as well as planning for new facilities.

Local Authorities: Lighting

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take account of whether the bulbs used in streetlights in the local authority area are energy efficient in determining the level of revenue support grant for that authority.

Phil Woolas: We have no plans to do so.

Local Government

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will ensure that arrangements are made for an early hearing of the appeal against South Hams district council's refusal of planning permission for a mini-village of yurts at Allaleigh and against the enforcement notice requiring the occupants of the site to move out.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 2 February 2007
	It has been necessary to postpone the inquiry that had been set up to consider the planning appeal on 1 March 2007, to enable the enforcement appeal made in relation to the same site, which covers essentially the same matters, to be heard at the same time. While the delay to the planning appeal is regrettable, this course of action will prevent the need for all parties to present similar arguments twice. The main parties have been offered 17 July as the opening day for the inquiry into both appeals.

Local Government Finance: Special Education Needs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much each local authority spent on out-of-authority placements for special educational needs in each of the last three years, broken down by  (a) social services,  (b) education and  (c) other.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department does not collect local authority expenditure at the detail requested. However, the following table provides the available budget information on inter-authority recoupment by local authorities in England from 2004-05 to 2006-07:
	
		
			  Budgeted gross expenditure on inter-authority recoupment( 1) 
			   
			  LEA name  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 England 153,026,734 162,555,495 179,209,612 
			 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,158,667 1,700,000 1,860,000 
			 Barnet 2,725,720 2,874,300 3,072,883 
			 Barnsley 472,000 432,000 432,000 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 344,648 363,223 300,038 
			 Bedfordshire 978,040 1,098,722 1,161,544 
			 Bexley 2,091,000 2,251,000 2,347,000 
			 Birmingham 1,099,276 1,121,262 1,143,687 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 772,000 822,001 710,000 
			 Blackpool 498,699 396,747 424,216 
			 Bolton (110,275) (93,920) 823,000 
			 Bournemouth 707,700 737,000 829,851 
			 Bracknell Forest 1,356,360 1,428,490 1,580,950 
			 Bradford 1,079,480 1,450,721 1,843,522 
			 Brent 1,387,000 1,441,000 1,605,000 
			 Brighton and Hove 274,190 285,500 325,010 
			 Bristol City of 1,954,105 1,893,264 1,964,901 
			 Bromley 2,201,650 2,209,170 2,453,210 
			 Buckinghamshire 1,565,000 1,729,284 2,013,547 
			 Bury 694,435 632,124 595,724 
			 Calderdale 197,850 210,775 491,840 
			 Cambridgeshire 979,258 1,409,166 1,358,482 
			 Camden 1,487,700 1,632,400 2,224,500 
			 Cheshire 742,899 912,728 1,079,107 
			 City of London 193,500 90,400 92,400 
			 Cornwall 704,000 693,000 696,000 
			 Coventry 598,985 610,600 622,710 
			 Croydon 2,051,721 2,415,071 4,168,720 
			 Cumbria 183,253 186,495 153,680 
			 Darlington 299,460 282,152 290,421 
			 Derby 770,086 793,188 816,587 
			 Derbyshire 1,832,620 1,867,172 2,517,383 
			 Devon 1,493,000 1,318,000 1,293,093 
			 Doncaster 680 700 700 
			 Dorset 2,697,200 3,038,300 1,748,400 
			 Dudley 735,600 750,300 996,945 
			 Durham 710,992 647,902 601,277 
			 Ealing 1,617,800 1,534,700 1,583,000 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,189,380 2,508,700 3,008,880 
			 East Sussex 947,857 1,135,277 1,717,408 
			 Enfield 2,494,400 2,388,306 1,849,480 
			 Essex 2,612,328 2,713,514 2,832,011 
			 Gateshead 450,906 458,609 450,857 
			 Gloucestershire 475,260 602,301 768,481 
			 Greenwich 1,671,040 1,684,880 1,659,880 
			 Hackney 3,148,228 3,388,165 3,843,962 
			 Halton 926,392 950,990 891,270 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,845,661 2,278,260 2,636,700 
			 Hampshire 3,204,000 3,275,000 3,382,900 
			 Haringey 1,318,800 1,607,398 1,591,699 
			 Harrow 1,317,760 1,289,668 1,160,731 
			 Hartlepool 624,514 644,241 583,477 
			 Havering 616,870 495,650 458,110 
			 Herefordshire 98,000 5,044 (39,811) 
			 Hertfordshire 1,045,720 1,060,883 1,083,692 
			 Hillingdon 483,696 1,247,150 1,282,820 
			 Hounslow 1,038,506 1,707,769 1,975,029 
			 Isle of Wight 28,251 41,804 57,646 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 
			 Islington 2,324,681 2,518,405 2,952,396 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,060,356 2,134,311 2,088,543 
			 Kent 1,177,675 1,977,135 1,997,135 
			 Kingston upon Hull City of 1,035,627 824,024 949,914 
			 Kingston upon Thames 802,100 1,042,000 1,071,000 
			 Kirklees 126,900 124,800 283,800 
			 Knowsley 469,037 569,058 701,057 
			 Lambeth 2,472,621 3,650,000 4,850,000 
			 Lancashire 3,111,313 1,181,200 3,151,400 
			 Leeds 731,050 745,310 773,800 
			 Leicester 1,612,800 1,811,701 1,874,000 
			 Leicestershire 2,432,523 2,592,201 2,416,614 
			 Lewisham 3,821,564 3,213,834 3,264,406 
			 Lincolnshire 50,084 492,066 1,117,290 
			 Liverpool 350,720 357,704 816,000 
			 Luton 1,614,904 1,334,736 1,160,570 
			 Manchester 848,500 891,505 1,407,360 
			 Medway 1,448,800 1,292,700 1,688,525 
			 Merton 1,345,330 1,582,999 2,428,020 
			 Middlesbrough 612,732 523,910 319,499 
			 Milton Keynes 750,649 789,268 816,366 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 454,270 556,980 628,520 
			 Newham 2,021,442 2,239,180 2,000,728 
			 Norfolk 478,879 506,350 516,480 
			 North East Lincolnshire 356,289 529,610 660,000 
			 North Lincolnshire 727,239 849,718 838,990 
			 North Somerset 221,350 226,500 319,770 
			 North Tyneside 294,442 187,828 189,129 
			 North Yorkshire 1,602,296 1,621,493 1,440,585 
			 Northamptonshire 2,168,530 2,331,150 2,427,100 
			 Northumberland 499,160 577,840 674,620 
			 Nottingham 1,060,000 1,081,200 1,092,010 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,794,242 2,851,658 2,918,410 
			 Oldham 439,000 322,070 291,150 
			 Oxfordshire 31,609 214,859 (442,052) 
			 Peterborough 137,309 (143,718) 120,398 
			 Plymouth 287,408 287,408 306,764 
			 Poole 469,040 549,836 759,096 
			 Portsmouth 569,200 569,200 809,400 
			 Reading 2,315,717 2,523,674 2,819,700 
			 Redbridge 349,644 795,903 818,897 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 806,800 817,072 880,044 
			 Richmond upon Thames 715,800 735,600 854,600 
			 Rochdale 646,236 569,941 672,345 
			 Rotherham 374,268 120,545 344,246 
			 Rutland 166,400 195,250 214,775 
			 Salford 926,303 986,340 875,296 
			 Sandwell 991,653 1,101,600 1,156,600 
			 Sefton 224,507 227,750 474,922 
			 Sheffield 686,361 602,313 773,239 
			 Shropshire 1,576,191 1,730,102 1,954,041 
			 Slough 822,760 1,122,850 1,024,921 
			 Solihull 482,973 495,100 853,975 
			 Somerset 264,170 420,000 420,000 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,320,000 1,509,000 1,583,000 
			 South Tyneside 184,252 189,763 195,411 
			 Southampton 564,499 580,300 441,508 
			 Southend-on-Sea 462,701 691,247 818,897 
			 Southwark 2,210,034 2,435,000 956,958 
			 St. Helens 301,635 301,876 350,126 
			 Staffordshire 1,739,560 1,993,050 1,942,879 
			 Stockport 473,222 484,106 494,756 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 745,281 754,258 724,172 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1,944,948 1,138,680 1,684,840 
			 Suffolk 100,000 103,000 108,000 
			 Sunderland 248,422 300,985 335,191 
			 Surrey 2,303,161 2,388,952 2,638,838 
			 Sutton 1,139,500 1,097,100 1,057,526 
			 Swindon 0 24,724 (41,037) 
			 Tameside 606,350 833,770 995,030 
			 Telford and Wrekin 241,712 251,380 451,000 
			 Thurrock 902,209 875,500 709,402 
			 Torbay 894,890 848,404 525,780 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,519,554 1,587,489 1,610,640 
			 Trafford 638,193 538,297 653,943 
			 Wakefield 245,280 0 0 
			 Walsall 228,860 368,670 473,835 
			 Waltham Forest 450,857 644,479 1,507,822 
			 Wandsworth 1,994,412 2,268,553 2,515,264 
			 Warrington 677,557 594,432 615,470 
			 Warwickshire 803,244 847,333 1,073,642 
			 West Berkshire 810,022 942,990 993,991 
			 West Sussex 635,300 900,400 983,561 
			 Westminster 2,898,000 3,382,700 3,875,800 
			 Wigan 208,696 310,199 414,034 
			 Wiltshire 1,923,493 1,772,272 1,707,623 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,144,110 1,165,800 1,194,950 
			 Wirral 191,900 246,700 403,700 
			 Wokingham 652,984 668,486 687,550 
			 Wolverhampton 625,000 623,700 482,000 
			 Worcestershire 553,360 586,535 600,026 
			 York 198,214 204,750 210,540 
			  Notes: 1. Budgeted gross expenditure on inter-authority recoupment includes any estimated expenditure in relation to transactions between authorities in accordance with regulations made under sections 493 or 494 of the 1996 Act or section 207 of the 2002 Act (recoupment between authorities). 2. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 20 February 2007.

Local Government Finance: Torbay

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to approve  (a) the mayor's vision,  (b) the housing land availability assessment for Torbay and  (c) the capital programme for Brixham in relation to the new growth point programme for Torbay; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Torbay council's applications for new growth point funding for developing the mayor's vision and for a regeneration project at Oxen Cove, Brixham are currently being assessed by the Government Office for the south west. The results of that assessment will be available shortly to the Department.
	I understand that the council has undertaken an assessment of housing land availability as required in planning policy statement 3 (published in November 2006). It is a factual assessment and does not require the Secretary of State's approval. I understand that the council was preparing such an assessment as part of developing the evidence base for its local development framework (LDF). The assessment will therefore be available for testing in the public examination.
	The content of the mayor's vision is a matter for the mayor and Torbay council. We would expect it to be incorporated into the LDF, which will be the subject of a public examination in due course.

Local Government: Elections

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 31 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 313-14W, on local polls, whether local polls may take place on the same day as a local government election should the local authority wish.

Ruth Kelly: Local elections must be held in accordance with the Representation of the People Acts and legislation made under them. No provision has been made in those enactments which would enable a local poll to be combined with a poll to be taken at a local election. It is for a council to consider whether it is appropriate to run a local poll in parallel to a local election.

Planning Policy Statement 3

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes planning policy statement 3 proposes in relation to development on  (a) previously residential and  (b) garden land.

Yvette Cooper: Planning policy statement 3 Housing, published on 29 November, gives local planning authorities greater flexibility as to the location and kind of housing that they wish to see in their area. Local planning authorities can set separate targets for different kinds of brownfield land if they need to. For example, they could choose, as a matter of policy, to concentrate development on available vacant or derelict land rather than on previously-residential or garden land. PPS3 also gives them greater flexibility to address concerns around development on previously-residential or garden land in areas where it would be inappropriate.
	PPS3 states in clear terms that there is no presumption that land is suitable for housing simply because it is brownfield, stressing the need for sites to be suitable for housing development, and in suitable locations that will contribute to the creation of sustainable, mixed communities.

Planning: EC Law

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken to ensure that planning authorities take into consideration the terms of the convention on landscape agreed by the Council of Europe in 2000.

Yvette Cooper: The Government believe that the UK is already fulfilling the requirements of the convention. National planning policies, including planning policy statement 1, Delivering Sustainable Development, and PPS 7, Sustainable Development in Rural Areas recognise the need to provide appropriate protection and enhancement of rural and urban landscapes in England, in line with the principal aims of the European landscape convention. Planning authorities are required to have regard to these national policies when preparing their development plans and these policies may be material to the consideration of planning applications.

Planning: Industry

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much land was designated for industrial users in  (a) 1985,  (b) 1995,  (c) 2005 and  (d) the latest period for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: Figures for the quantity of land designated for industrial uses are not held centrally.

Planning: Small Businesses

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to encourage a sufficient supply of industrial land for use by small and medium-sized enterprises;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to ensure there is sufficient  (a) land and  (b) premises available for the use of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Yvette Cooper: National planning policy set out in Planning policy guidance note 4: Industrial and Commercial Development and Small Firms asks planning authorities to ensure that there is a sufficient quantity and variety of land available to meet the differing needs of businesses. Planning authorities should also ensure that there is sufficient land available which is readily capable of development and well-served by infrastructure.
	Regional planning bodies and local planning authorities, in preparing and reviewing their development plans, should make a realistic assessment of the quantity of land likely to be needed in their areas to meet the needs of business and developers. They should ensure that suitable locations are available for industrial and commercial development as well as for small and medium-sized enterprises.
	To assist planning authorities in assessing the overall demand for and supply of employment land, we have published Employment Land Reviews: Guidance Note (December 2004). This guidance seeks to help planning authorities assess the suitability of sites to accommodate employment development, to help protect the best sites in the face of competition from higher value uses and to help them identify those sites which are no longer needed for employment development and which can be released for other uses, including for housing.
	Kate Barker's Review of Land Use Planning (December 2006) looked at how planning might better deliver economic growth and prosperity, alongside important social and environmental objectives. The Government have welcomed the report, and are carefully considering the recommendations. We will set out our response to the report's recommendations in a White Paper this spring.

Planning: Urban Areas

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on the construction of new high-rise buildings in cities.

Yvette Cooper: The Government do not have a separate national policy for high-rise building development in cities. The Government expect local planning authorities to plan positively, in terms of high quality development and inclusive design, for all developments, as set out in planning policy statement 1, Delivering Sustainable Development. This applies to all forms of development, including tall buildings regardless of location.

Population

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's estimate is of the  (a) population,  (b) number of households and  (c) average household size in each standard Government region in each year since 2003; and what her Department's latest estimate is in each case for each year until the last year of the planning horizon used by the Department.

Yvette Cooper: This information is provided in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister statistical release New Projections of Households for England and the Regions to 2026 that was published on 14 March 2006. The regional figures are presented in table E at the following web link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882 PressNoticeID-2097

Property: Prices

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of properties sold at an open market value of more than 1 million in each local authority area in each year since 2001.

Yvette Cooper: Information on the number of properties sold for over 1 million in each local authority area in England for each year since 2001 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Radon

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance is available to householders for preventative work in areas identified as having a high radon risk.

Angela Smith: The Building Research Establishment published the following three booklets which provide guidance for preventative measures to resist the ingress of radon:
	Radon: guidance on protective measures for new dwellings, A BRE guide to radon remedial measures in existing dwellingsdwellings with cellars and basements,
	Radon: guidance on protective measures for new dwellings in Scotland.
	Reference to radon protection is also included in approved document part Csite preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture.

Repossession Orders: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many house repossessions there were in Lancashire in each of the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: Information on mortgage possessions is only available for the United Kingdom as a whole and is collected by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This data is available on their web site at
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/3AP4.xls?ref=2753.

Road Signs and Markings: Advertising

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 4W, on roadside advertisements, what  (a) meetings have been held and  (b) correspondence has been conducted by officials with local authorities regarding the removal of unauthorised roadside advertisements in the last 12 months;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 4W, on roadside advertisements, how many unauthorised roadside advertisements have been removed as a result of local authority intervention; and what their locations were;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, column 4W, on roadside advertisements, how many people have been prosecuted for displaying or refusing to remove unauthorised roadside advertisements in the last period for which figures are available;
	(4)  whether she has received evidence of advertising companies continuing to solicit business using unauthorised roadside sites.

Yvette Cooper: In the last 12 months three meetings have been held with representatives of local planning authorities and officials have written to local authorities about the removal of unauthorised roadside advertisements. The information we have shows that 303 unlawful advertisements have been removed as a result of local authority action: 243 from Greater Manchester, Merseyside and parts of Cheshire and Lancashire; 17 from North Wiltshire; 14 from Solihull; 13 from North Lincolnshire; eight from Salisbury; two each from Barnet, Chester, and Daventry; and one each from Colchester and North Tyneside. The information about how many offenders have been prosecuted for displaying or refusing to remove unauthorised roadside advertisements is not held centrally. The unlawful advertisements and fly-posting database will hold information about successful prosecutions when the database is launched later this month. The Department has not received evidence of advertising companies continuing to solicit business using unauthorised roadside sites. However, where local authorities have taken firm action to remove advertisements, it is important to prevent an increase in adverts in neighbouring local authorities who have not taken firm action. That is why the Government are publishing new advice on best practice for all local authorities alongside the new database.

Sewage: Building Regulations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will amend building regulations to prohibit the use of lightweight non-lockable covers for septic tanks.

Angela Smith: Waste water systems, including septic tanks, are subject to the requirements in part H of the building regulations. Part H was last revised in 2002 and the related approved document specifically refer to cover to septic tanks. The guidance provided says:
	The access (cover) should be lockable or otherwise engineered to prevent personnel entry.

Sleeping Rough: Northamptonshire

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the number of people sleeping rough in  (a) Wellingborough and  (b) Northamptonshire.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 February 2007,  Official Report, column 957W.

Social Rented Housing: Milton Keynes

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many housing association properties  (a) available for rent and  (b) in shared-equity schemes there were in Milton Keynes in each year since 1992.

Yvette Cooper: The level of registered social landlord stock in Milton Keynes since 1992 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Registered social landlord stock in Milton Keynes, at 1 April 1992  to 2006 
			   Stock 
			 1992 3,575 
			 1993 4,095 
			 1994 3,669 
			 1995 4,038 
			 1996 4,600 
			 1997 5,000 
			 1998 5,335 
			 1999 5,468 
			 2000 5,512 
			 2001 5,626 
			 2002(1) 5,872 
			 2003(1) 5,862 
			 2004(1) 5,855 
			 2005(1) 5,914 
			 2006(1) 6,141 
			 (1) RSL stock from 2002 includes bed spaces  Source: 1992-96: Housing strategy statistical appendix 1997-2006: Regulatory statistical return 
		
	
	Levels of shared-equity properties are not readily available. However, between 1 April 1992 and 31 March 2006, 1,885 new affordable units were provided in Milton Keynes through low-cost home ownership and sub-market rental schemes.

Stray Dogs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department has taken to ensure that local authorities are fulfilling their obligations to receive and collect stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and what sanctions may be imposed on local authorities who fail to fulfil their obligations.

Ben Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
	Local councils are legally responsible for taking in stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act. Any dogs seized by their officers or brought in by members of the public must be kept for a minimum of seven days and be provided with suitable kennelling.
	There is no specific provision in the Environmental Protection Act for this Department to intervene if a local authority breaches its statutory duty in relation to stray dogs.

Temporary Accommodation

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost was to the public purse of placing households in temporary leasehold accommodation in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 23 February 2007
	Communities and Local Government collects data on Local Government expenditure in England on homelessness through the revenue outturn returns. The public expenditure on placing households in temporary accommodation in each year since 1997 is tabled as follows.
	
		
			  000 
			  Private sector leasing( 1)  
			 1997-98 40,066 
			 1998-99 37,515 
			 1999-2000 33,476 
			 2000-01 32,442 
			 2001-02 39,866 
			 2002-03 72,426 
			   
			  Other homelessness( 2)  
			 1997-98 36,038 
			 1998-99 45,327 
			 1999-2000 50,114 
			 2000-01 60,019 
			 2001-02 94,709 
			 2002-03 99,652 
			   
			  Leasehold dwellings( 3)  
			 2003-04 161,148 
			 2004-05 239,174 
			 2005-06 282,937 
			   
			  Other temporary accommodation( 4)  
			 2003-04 95,511 
			 2004-05 197,288 
			 2005-06 189,642 
		
	
	The increase in expenditure on leased accommodation reflects both that more vulnerable people are receiving help with accommodation, following the strengthening of the statutory safety net in 2002; and the Government's drive to improve the quality of temporary accommodation used to house people under the homelessness legislation. Although good quality, self-contained leasehold accommodation accounts for around 50 per cent. of temporary accommodation used by local authorities, more needs to be done to help people find settled homes. In 2004, we set the challenging target of halving the number of households in temporary accommodation by 2010.

Temporary Accommodation: Nottingham

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Nottingham city council spent on temporary accommodation in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: Nottingham city council, like all local authorities, receives homelessness grant funding to tackle and prevent all form of homelessness. However, the funding is not ring fenced and it is for councils to determine how the funding is used to support their homelessness strategy. The Department, therefore, does not keep a record of the amount of money spent on specific elements such as temporary accommodation. The funding that Nottingham city council has received from the Department to tackle homelessness is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Homelessness grant (revenue) to Nottingham over the past five years 
			
			 2006-07 362,000 
			 2005-06 350,000 
			 2004-05 400,000 
			 2003-04 506,435 
			 2002-03 375,002 
			 Total 1,993,437

Temporary Accommodation: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what temporary accommodation was made available from central Government resources to homeless people in Romford in each year since 2000.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority rather than constituency level. The constituency of Romford falls entirely within the London borough of Havering.
	Information reported each quarter by local housing authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter, and the types of temporary accommodation. The figures include both those households who have been accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, and those for which enquiries are pending.
	This data is published in our quarterly statistical release on statutory homelessness, which includes a supplementary table showing the breakdown of key data, including temporary accommodation and type, by each local authority. These are published on our website each quarter, and data for each quarter from 2000-01 to 2005-06 can be accessed from the following address:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=l156302
	These tables have also been placed in the Library for each quarter since 2000.
	Data provided includes the total number in temporary accommodation for each year, broken down between bed and breakfast, hostel, local authority/registered social landlord stock, private-sector leased and other types of housing.
	A summary table showing the total number of households in temporary accommodation, from 1997-98 to 2005-06, for each local authority (including Havering) was placed in the Library on 23 October 2006,  Official Report, columns 1663-64W, in response to PQ 93795, Chris RuaneTable B. Note that this summary table also includes any revisions made by local authorities since the supplementary tables were published.
	Local authorities receive revenue support grant towards statutory functions, including homelessness. In addition, the Department for Work and Pensions provides subsidy up to a set cap for all housing benefit claims paid for households placed in temporary accommodation under the homelessness legislation.
	In January 2005, the Government set a target of halving the number of households in all forms of temporary accommodation used by local authorities to discharge their main duty under the homelessness legislation by 2010.

Unemployed: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households there are in  (a) England,  (b) Greater London,  (c) the London borough of Havering and  (d) Romford in which none of the residents are in employment; and how many such households are in publicly-provided housing.

Yvette Cooper: Based on the results of the 2006 labour force survey, it is estimated that the number of households in which none of the residents were in employment was  (a) 6,876,000 in England, and  (b) 881,000 in London. Of these, the numbers in social rented accommodation were  (a) 2,240,000 in England, and  (b) 388,000 in London.
	Reliable estimates for the London borough of Havering and for Romford are not available from the labour force survey. However, from the 2001 census it is estimated that the number of households in the London borough of Havering where the main householder was economically inactive was 23,000. The basis for this estimate differs from the LFS estimates above. The census estimate (a) excludes households where the main householder was aged 75 or over and (b) is a count of those households where the main householder was economically inactivewhich is not the same as the LFS estimates of the number of households where none of the residents were economically inactive.
	A reliable estimate of how many of the 23,000 households with an economically inactive householder were living in social housing is not available for Havering.
	Reliable estimates for Romford are not available.